Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
by EmilyAnnCoons
Summary: What exciting adventure will Link find himself on as he joins up with a band of pirates to rescue his sister from the evil grasp of an evil wizard? Rated for language, sexual themes, and violence. Completed!
1. Outset Island

**Chapter 1: Outset Island**

This is just one of the legends spoken of in ancient times. Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a wondrous kingdom filled with tall mountains, green lands, and peace. But one day, an evil man found the golden power, and using its power, he spread chaos across the land.

Then, when all hope seemed lost, and the hour of doom arrived, a boy in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the darkness away and gave the land light. The boy had to travel through time to save the land, and thus he was known as the Hero of Time. It is said the hero then vanished without a trace, and some believed that he was taken up by the goddesses themselves to be preserved until the day he was needed once more.

His story was passed down through generations until it became a legend. But then, some hundreds of years later, the world began to stir. A dark wind began to pour across the land, and the evil that had thought to have been sealed away now was free. The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them, and so they prayed to the goddesses to return the Hero of Time.

However, the hero did not appear, and, when faced by an onslaught of evil the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods. In the final hour, as doom drew nigh, the people left their future in the hands of fate. There is then no record of what occurred after that, and the kingdom seemed to vanish overnight.

The legend of the kingdom was then passed down over generations, and it, too, became legend. None knew what happened to the kingdom and its people, and on one small island that rested upon the Great Sea, it became a custom to garb their children in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders of this island, which had come to be known as Outset, only wanted their children to know courage as the Hero of Time had.

"Onii-sama!" a girl shouted. She had rather short, blonde hair which she kept in little pig tails at the sides of her head. Her eyes were a beautiful forest green, and she wore a lovely, cyan dress that had flowers at the bottom of it. She had bracelets on her arms, and held her most precious possession, a telescope she had gotten from her father before he passed away.

The girl currently stood upon the porch of her house on an island known as Outset. She held the telescope up to her eye and looked around. Seagulls seemed to love this girl for some reason, as they always flocked around her. "Onii-sama!" she shouted again and huffed up, putting her arms on her waist in frustration. "Where is he? Onii-sama!" She shouted even louder, but still no one responded.

"He better not be sleeping!" The girl walked forward, heading down a path that led to a small bridge. Outset was actually two small islands. A forest grew atop the right-most island, and the only way to it was through a bridge that had been built that crossed from the left-most island and the right-most island. A second bridge then connected the two islands down at the bottom of the large mountain, where the land was more flat and had human life on it.

The girl stopped once she crossed a third bridge that led to a large lookout. She looked up and breathed in heavily. "Onii-sama!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. A scream could be heard from someone at the top. "So he was…" she spoke and huffed up. She grabbed hold of the ladder in front of her and began to climb up it.

At the top of the lookout was a boy of about sixteen. He had short, blonde hair that was somewhat messy, and seemed to puff up everywhere. His eyes were a handsome hazel, and he wore a blue shirt that had a crawfish on it, as well as a pair of brown pants. He groaned as he looked around, having been startled awake by his sister's voice. "Aryll?" he asked as he looked around.

"Link-onii-sama!" The girl shouted now that she was next to him. This startled him again and he jumped back. "Why were you sleeping up here?"

Link groaned. "I was tired, Aryll…" He slowly stood to his feet.

Aryll sighed. "Onii-sama, Grandma has been calling you now for an hour!"

"Why would she do that?" Link yawned.

"Because of today!"

"What's today?" Link rubbed his eyes.

Aryll gave a look that showed she was upset. "You don't remember? How can you not remember what today is?"

"I'm still half asleep, give me a break…"

Aryll sighed. "Onii-sama, it's your birthday! You're sixteen as of today!"

Link's eyes went wide, then his face showed a look of dread. "Oh no…" he groaned and flopped back, closing his eyes.

"Onii-sama, you can't go back to sleep!" Aryll shouted and grabbed him, shaking him.

"All right, all right, I'm awake!" Link spoke up and sighed. "Do I have to do this?"

Aryll nodded. "Grandma says 'On their sixteenth birthday, all boys get to wear the hero's clothes for a day.' Today is your sixteenth birthday, so that means you have to do it."

"But those clothes look so warm!" Link whined. "It's the middle of summer, and it's hot enough as it is!"

"They can't be much warmer then what you're wearing now." Aryll tugged at the long-sleeves of Link's shirt. Her own dress had no sleeves, and ended around her knees, but Link's shirt was long-sleeved, and he also wore a pair of long pants as well. "The shirt alone can't be too cool, since it looks like a sweater."

Link groaned. "I suppose you're right…" He sighed. "Fine, I'll go see Grandma." He turned and walked off, slowly climbing down the ladder Aryll had climbed up. He crossed the bridge, then followed the path back to his house. He groaned as he pushed the door open, then looked up. The house was two floors. The first floor held the kitchen and bedrooms, while the top floor held a small place for the family to get together and be with each other. "Grandma, I'm home!" Link shouted.

"Link!" a female voice spoke loudly in a happy tone. "Come on up, I've got a present for you."

Link groaned. "That's what I'm afraid of…" he muttered under his breath. He climbed the ladder that led to the second floor, and there he found his Grandma. She was an elderly woman, not much taller then Link. In fact, it was quite possible that she was shorter then Link by an inch or two. Her hair had gone white over the years, and she had a bit of a hunch to her as she stood. She wore a red dress, and her eyes were a hazel color, showing where Link had gotten the color of his eyes.

"Come on over here," Grandma spoke and Link walked forward. She grabbed some clothes off of the table and handed them to Link. It was a brown belt, a pair of green pants, a light-green undershirt, and a darker green overshirt, along with a green hat. "Here you go. These are the hero's clothes. Since it's your sixteenth birthday today, you get to wear them."

Link gave a groan. "Do I really have to?"

"Oh come now, it's only for a day. Besides, you'll look great in them."

Link sighed. "All right." He made his way downstairs and into his room where he changed. There were two bedrooms in the house. One was his and Aryll's bedroom, and the other was their Grandma's. Link's bedroom consisted of only a few things, a dresser, a bed, and various items for lights and things. There wasn't much use for toys on the island, as everyone knew everyone, and thus the children always hung out, but there were a few. The bed was big enough for two people, and even held two pillows on it. Link couldn't remember a single day since Aryll had turned two that they hadn't shared the same bed.

Link quickly pulled off his clothes, then pulled on the green pants and the green undershirt, followed by pulling on the overshirt. He pulled the hat onto his head, trying to work his hair so it would look smooth, yet the hat would still go on right. Afterwards, he wrapped the belt around his waist and clasped it as he walked out of his room. "I guess they aren't that bad…" he spoke.

Link made his way back up the ladder, and his Grandma smiled. "Very nice," she spoke, smiling. "Now, as you know, this is your sixteenth birthday, and as such, you are now an adult. Remember, the Hero of Time was sixteen when he defeated the darkness!"

"But, Grandma, why do we do this?" Link asked. "It has nothing to do with our island, does it? I mean…that kingdom existed a thousand years ago, and it vanished without a trace."

"Well, the Legend of the Ocarina of Time may have occurred a thousand years ago, but the kingdom only vanished a couple hundred years ago. On top of that, we have no clue what happened to the kingdom. We only know that we have carried on this tradition since the kingdom vanished. We do it in memory of the kingdom. Today, we have peace."

"But it has nothing to do with the Hero of Time…He vanished, and didn't even return when the kingdom needed him. Why is he so great if he deserted the land like that?"

"Well, the thing to remember is that peace filled the land. He was no longer needed, and so he left. Afterwards, it was a good six hundred years before anything happened again. Assuming he just left, then he would have been long dead…"

"Well, I guess that's true…but didn't the goddesses take him up?"

"No one really knows, Link. All that is known is that he defeated the darkness, then disappeared."

Link sighed. "All right…can I go now?"

"In a minute. Now, I am making your favorite soup today for your birthday party. On top of that, I am inviting everyone on the island to come celebrate with us. So, I want you to wear those clothes for the rest of the day. Be happy, show them off. Remember, you're an adult now. That may mean more responsibility, but it also means something else."

"What?" Link asked, a curious look on his face.

Grandma looked around, then got up close to Link. "You can look for a girl," she whispered.

"Wah!" Link shouted and jumped back. When he did, he jumped back a little too far and fell back, landing on the ground below. "Ow…"

Grandma walked to the edge and looked down. "You ok?"

"Fine." Link slowly stood up, groaning.

"Well, anyway, go find Aryll and watch over her for me for a bit. She may be a teen now, but she's still young."

Link nodded. "All right, she's probably by the lookout, so it should be easy to find her." He turned and headed out the door. The island seemed to have come to life over the last few minutes. People were now wandering the island, the kids were playing together, the adults talking, and everyone just seemed happy in general. Living on a small remote island was nice, since everyone basically knew everyone, yet, it seemed there were still surprises everywhere.

Link made his way to the lookout and looked up. "You up there, Aryll?" he called out.

"I'm right up here, Onii-sama," Aryll called back. Link climbed the ladder up and he saw Aryll looking through her telescope.

"Hey."

Aryll turned, looking at him through the scope. "Hey, Onii-sama." She looked over him. "Wow…I guess those clothes do look rather warm…" She moved the telescope away from her eyes and looked at Link straight now.

"Yeah…but I'm okay with it, I guess… They aren't as bad as I thought they'd be." He walked over next to her and bent over, putting his arms against the railing. Aryll did the same. She was only about a foot shorter then her brother.

"Hey, Onii-sama, I have a gift for you."

"Really?" Link asked as he looked at his sister.

Aryll nodded. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." Link did as she said and she set her telescope in his hand. "Now, open your eyes."

"This feels like…" Link opened his eyes and looked down. "Your telescope?" he asked. "You're giving this to me?"

"Well…more like letting you borrow it for a day…" Aryll spoke. "But, yes, for today you can have it."

"But…this is your gift from Dad…you've had it since you were two."

"I know…" Aryll spoke and turned, putting her hands behind her back and looking away. "But, hey, it's just for one day. I'm sure you'll take good care of it. You're an adult now, right?" She sniffled a little and Link wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you." Aryll couldn't hold the tears and she quickly whipped around and stuffed her face into Link's chest. "I know you miss Mom and Dad…" He hugged her tight as he looked out as he remembered what happened to their parents.

* * *

"Keep pushing, Aryll!" a man shouted. He had fairly short blonde hair along with a small beard. He was dressed in a rather plain outfit, wearing a simple blue tunic with a pair of brown pants. His eyes were a handsome shade of sapphire. His hand was currently gripping the hand of a woman in a bed in front of him.

The woman before him, known as Aryll, was dressed in a simple sapphire gown while her fire-red hair, drenched with sweat, clung to her heaving body and blanketed her eyes. Her eyes were currently closed tight as she pushed with her body as hard as she could to try and bear the child that currently lied in her stomach and was trying to be born.

"You're almost there, Aryll," a woman spoke as she took Aryll's hand and squeezed it tight. This was Link's grandma, though she looked ten years younger, still having her beautiful, dark brown hair. "Just a little more."

Aryll screamed as she pushed once more, her body shaking and fighting to bear her child. Her other child of about six, a young Link, stood nearby, watching in amazement. It was then he saw it, the head of his baby sister slowly popping out. He was amazed at this sight, but he found himself unsure of how he should feel about seeing this. It was then that the rest of the child appeared, and Link's eyes went wide, a large smiling appearing on his face.

"Congratulations, Derek and Aryll, it's a girl!" Grandma spoke as she took hold of the baby.

Aryll's emerald eyes opened and she smiled. "That's…wonderful…" she spoke. Her face showed exhaustion. Grandma quickly wrapped the baby up and set it against the mother and Link quickly rushed over to see his new baby sister.

"Your sister's finally been born, Link," Derek spoke.

"Aww, I was hoping for a little brother…" Link spoke with a frown.

Derek chuckled. "Well, we don't all get everything we want."

"What are you going to name her?" Grandma asked.

"We were thinking about Marin, isn't that right, honey?" Derek looked down at Aryll, but her eyes were closed, and her head rolled to the side. In an instant, fear gripped Derek's heart. "Sweetie?"

Grandma quickly grabbed Aryll's wrist, and immediately her eyes went wide with shock. "Derek… I can't feel her pulse…"

Tears appeared in Derek's eyes and he quickly grabbed Marin. "Link, take Marin and wait outside."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Derek shouted and set Marin in Link's arms. He quickly pushed Link out the door and shut it. Link stared forward for a moment, curious as to what was happening. His father had never reacted like this to his knowledge. "Let's try to get her heart beating, quickly!" Link put his ear to the door and he heard a couple of thumping sounds. "No, good, let's try again." He heard the sounds again, which then stopped a moment later.

"She's not breathing!" Grandma spoke from behind the door.

"Damn it! We've got to give her CPR, quickly!" Link heard the sound of glass falling to the ground and smashing, and he backed away a little.

Marin squirmed a little, and Link looked down at her. Slowly, Marin's emerald eyes opened, and Link stared at them with a smile. "Damn it!" he heard Derek shout from behind the door and Link looked back up at the door.

"Daddy seems upset…" Link spoke, then looked back at Marin. He heard once again the sound of something shattering from behind the door, then all went silent. Link turned to look at the door, noticing the complete silence. There was no noises, no words, not even the sound of breathing.

A moment passed, but it seemed like an eternity, and the sound of quiet sobs could barely be heard. Link tilted his head a little. The sounds were from his father, but what reason did his father have to cry? "I'm sorry, Derek," Grandma spoke. "There's…nothing more we can do…"

"No…this can't be…she can't be…"

"She's gone, Derek…"

Link looked at the door even more curiously. Who was gone? Why was his father crying?

"I…I want to do something…" Derek spoke. "I want to change Marin's name…"

"To?"

"Aryll…"

"I see…" There was then the sound of footsteps. "What will you tell Link?"

"I'll…think of something…"

* * *

It had been two days since Aryll's death. Link had become increasingly curious about what had happened, and why he had not been allowed to see his mother the last two days. He had asked many times, but his father just shoved the question aside. However, today Derek would have no choice but to finally explain what was going on to his son, for today was the day Aryll would be buried.

"Link…" Derek spoke as he knelt down in front of Link. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Daddy?" Link asked.

"It's…about your mother…" Derek began and Link tilted his head. "Remember how I said…she was sleeping?" Link nodded. "Well…she's not going to wake up…"

"What do you mean?"

Derek bit his lip and looked down. "Link…we don't know why…but after your sister was born…your mother…slipped away…She's…dead…"

"'Dead'?" Link asked, tilting his head a little more. He didn't understand at all. "What is 'dead'?"

"It's…where you go to sleep and you never wake up…"

"Why? Why can't you just wake her up?"

"You…can't wake her up…"

"Why not?"

"It's impossible…"

"Did you try?"

"Yes."

"Liar!" Link shouted suddenly. "You didn't try, did you? Mommy went to sleep, but you haven't tried at all to wake her up!"

"Link, you can't wake her up. There's no way to…she's dead…"

"If you tell her to wake up, she'll wake up! She always wakes up when you ask her to!"

"That won't happen this time…"

"Why not?" Link shouted. Suddenly, the door to their house opened and Link turned. There at the door were two men who were rather bulky in physique.

"We're here for your wife," one of the men spoke.

"Yes, you must be the undertakers from Windfall we asked for," Derek spoke as he stood up. "Please, right this way." Derek took them to Aryll's room, where they pulled Aryll onto a stretcher, then pulled a blanket over her. They then carried her off and Link watched in surprise.

"Where are they taking Mommy?" Link asked.

"They're taking her away, Link…" Derek spoke, closing his eyes.

"Well…when is she coming back? Are they taking her to someone who can wake her up?"

"No…she's never coming back…"

"You let them take Mommy away, knowing she won't be coming back?" Link yelled. Tears were now forming in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

"There was nothing I could do."

"You could have stopped them! Told them to go away! You let them take Mommy away!"

"She was already gone, Link!" Derek shouted and grabbed Link. "Your mother is dead, Link. She is never coming back, and there was nothing I could do!"

Link growled. "I hate you…" he spoke in a quiet voice.

"What did you say?"

"I hate you!" Link shouted. "Mommy is gone forever, and you didn't even try to stop them! I hate you! You promised Mommy would be okay, and that I'd see her again, but now I can't! I hate you! I hate you!" With those words, Link tore himself from his father and ran out of the house.

* * *

"The storm is getting worse…" Derek spoke as he stared out to the Great Sea. It had been three years since Aryll's death. Link had come to forgive his father after he matured a little more and learned exactly what death was. Baby Aryll had grown into a beautiful young girl, having blonde hair like her father and brother. Grandma had made her a pretty, purple, sleeveless dress which she now wore.

"Are you really thinking about taking on this dangerous mission, Derek?" Grandma asked as she stepped over to him. Her hair had begun to go gray now.

"Someone has to deliver the pearl to Greatfish Isle. If this storm really is magical…and the pearl really is the only thing that can stop it, then it must be delivered there."

"Why was the pearl even here?"

"I don't know…the pearl is supposed to be guarded by the Deity of Water, but if it is here, then that means something must have happened to him."

"Then what can we do?"

"I must deliver the pearl back to Greatfish Isle…If I do that, I should be able to give it to the Deity of Water, and he can use its power to end this storm." Derek turned to Link and Aryll, who were now playing in the sand not too far away. "But…I may not return…"

"You don't have to go, Derek, someone else can deliver the pearl."

"No…this is my task…I was given it by the Goddesses, so it is mine to complete. I cannot give my duty to anyone else."

Grandma sighed. "I understand."

Derek returned to his house and prepared his things for his journey. He planned to leave the next day, and when that day came, the island stopped to see him off. "Now, you two be good for Grandma, understand?" Derek spoke as he looked at Link and Aryll.

Link and Aryll nodded. "We'll be good, we promise," Link spoke.

"Good." Derek pulled out a small red telescope and held it out. "Aryll…take this…keep it with you always and never forget me, no matter what happens."

"Otay!" Aryll spoke and smiled, but Link did not. Derek's words had a sense of sorrow and worry within them that Link could sense. He knew the mission his father was leaving on, and he knew his father may not return. In fact, they were both fairly sure he wouldn't.

Link huffed himself up and hugged his father. "I love you, Father," he spoke.

"I love you, too, son," Derek spoke, returning the hug. He then hugged Aryll. "And I love you as well, Aryll."

"Love you, Daddy!" Aryll spoke with a grin on her face. The rest of the island did the same, hugging Derek and bidding him farewell. He then hopped upon his boat and pulled up the sail, letting the wind carry him out to the sea. Time would tell of how he reached Greatfish Isle and returned the pearl, but never returned.

* * *

Aryll's crying had nearly stopped by the time Link was done thinking of the past. She sniffled a bit, and Link picked her up and continued to hug her. The embrace would have continued, if it hadn't been for the sound of cannon fire. Aryll quickly turned her head and looked out. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," Link spoke and set Aryll down. They could see a large ship out a ways from them. He extended the telescope and looked through it. He saw the ship was a large, brown ship holding a rather bulky looking crew. Atop the crows nest was the black flag with the skull and crossbones. The ship was a pirate ship. "Pirates."

"Pirates?" Aryll asked, shaking. "Did they come to invade our island?"

"I don't think so." Link saw the cannon fire again, and he looked up in the direction the cannon was pointing. "Whoa!" he shouted. In the sky was a rainbow-colored bird of several feet in size. It was a gigantic bird, and he saw, in the clutches of the bird was a girl. She had short, blonde hair that went up into a sort of ponytail. Link guessed her hair was longer if it was let down. She wore a dark blue, possibly purple vest, along with a magenta shirt underneath, both that were sleeveless. He could barely make out a pair of long-white pants that ended halfway below her knees.

"What is it, Onii-sama?"

"They aren't invading. They are shooting at some kind of giant bird. It has a girl. She looks like their leader."

"We have to help them."

"I don't think we…wait!" Link watched as a cannonball struck the bird in the face, and it squawked loudly. The hit caused the bird to loose its grip on the girl, and Link's eyes went wide as he watched the girl plummet down. She crashed into the forest at the top of the island, and Link bit his lip.

"What happened?"

"The bird got hit, and it dropped the girl. She fell into the forest."

"We have to help her!" Aryll spoke. "She could be severely injured."

"I'll go," Link spoke. "You stay here." Link turned to run off.

"Wait, Onii-sama!" Link turned to look back at Aryll. "Be careful…"

"I will." Link turned to rush off once again, quickly grabbing the ladder and sliding down it. He needed to get into that forest, but he also knew it was dangerous. "Orca, please lend me your sword," he muttered as he rushed off to one of the houses on the island. He had to hurry, because if he waited too long, it was possible the girl might not survive.


	2. Tetra

**Chapter 2: Tetra**

Link arrived at one of the houses upon the island. He pushed the door open, and a man greeted him. The man was bald, save for the small bit of long, white hair that was on the back of his head. He had a long beard and moustache and he wore nothing but a pair of purple pants. He was also somewhat fat, though it was more due to his age, as his stomach was big, but his arms and chest were actually fairly well built. The man twirled a spear in his hand, then slammed it against the wall. "Link, welcome," the man spoke. "How can I help you?"

"Orca, something has happened, and I need a sword," Link responded.

Orca stared at him for a moment. "And what is it that has happened, young one?"

"Someone fell into the forest! It looked like she was being taken away by a large bird, and she suddenly was dropped onto the island! I need to help her!"

"I see." Orca walked over to one of the weapon racks and drew a small sword. "You need a sword to save the girl, but do you even know how to use one?" He looked at Link and pointed it at him.

Link nodded. "You've shown me several times. In fact, I was practicing here yesterday, remember?"

"Ah yes, now that I think about it, I do remember." Orca twirled the sword in his hand, then held it out, swinging the sword around so the blade lied in his hands, and the hilt was held out to Link. "From what I remember, you were rather skilled. The look in your eyes and the tone of your voice says you will not misuse this sword. Take it, and use it if you need to."

Link nodded. "Thank you, Orca." He grabbed the sword and turned.

"Wait," Orca spoke and Link whirled around. Orca then held out a sheath. "You can carry it around all day. Take this sheath as well."

Link nodded and grabbed the sheath. He sheathed his sword, then wrapped the sheath around his back, hooking the belt in the front of his tunic. "Thank you, Orca."

"Think nothing of it, Link. It is your sixteenth birthday, and regardless, you would have gained this sword anyway. Do not forget it is part of the tradition to also find that sword. Now, remember, the clothes you wear now and the sword you carry are both symbols of the ancient hero. Use them wisely and carefully. Also remember to have courage as the ancient hero did."

Link nodded and gave a bow. "I will remember that." With that, Link turned and headed off. He rushed his way through the island, taking the long path that lead up to the higher points of the islands. He stopped at the bridge and looked forward. It was a long rope bridge, and the wind was blowing at it, making it sway.

Link gripped the rope railing on the bridge and carefully walked forward. The bridge continued to sway as he slowly made his way across the bridge. It took him a minute of walking slowly before he made it across, and he gave a sigh of relief when he crossed fine. "Now to save that girl." He drew his sword and slowly entered the forest before him.

As he walked, he found the forest was darker then the rest of the island. The trees grew up and mingled together to make it darker as their leaves caused less light to enter from above. It took only a moment before he spotted the girl not too far off. She was currently lying upon one of the branches, and she looked as if she was still unconscious.

Link slowly made his way forward, using his sword to cut away at some of the overgrowth that blocked his path. It didn't take very long before he found himself directly under the tree that girl was in. A closer look at her now revealed she couldn't be much younger then sixteen. He noticed a red sash that went around her neck, as well as one that went around her waist to serve as a sort of belt. Upon her belt was a scabbard, and the sword that would normally be in it currently lied on the ground at Link's feet. The other thing he happened to notice was how well developed her bust was, though that was actually the last thing on his mind.

"Hey!" Link shouted. "Are you okay?" The girl gave no response, appearing to remain unconscious. Link quickly sheathed his sword and grabbed the tree. He set his foot upon a small branch stub and was about to begin climbing. However, a loud noise caused him to whirl around, finding himself face-to-face with three large creatures.

They were Bokoblins. Nasty creatures that were about six feet tall normally. They had either purple skin, and were rather imp-like in appearance. They had pig-like faces, and wielded somewhat old-looking swords. They roared at Link and he quickly drew his sword. In an instant, they were upon him, but Link quickly knocked them back with a swing of his sword.

They roared and rushed forward, swinging their swords wildly, and Link quickly ducked under their swings and brought his sword up to strike. This move took out the first two, leaving one other to be dealt with. The two charged at each other and locked swords for a moment. Link then gave a quick kick to the creature's stomach, then brought his sword up to kill the creature.

The noises of battle managed to awaken the girl from her unconscious state, and as Link slaughtered the last Bokoblin, her eyes opened, revealing their beautiful, sapphire color. At the sight of her current state, she screamed loudly and flailed about. This caused her to soon fall to the ground, where she groaned. "Jeez…" she spoke to herself, "…what a girly reaction that was, Tetra… At least no one was around to witness it." She turned, and when she did, she found herself face-to-face with Link.

"Hi," Link spoke and waved.

"Yah!" Tetra shouted and fell back. She growled. "What's the big idea sneaking up on me like that?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Link knelt down and held his hand out to help Tetra up. She quickly smacked his hand away and stood up herself, brushing herself off.

"Well, anyway, where am I?"

"Outset Island, in the Fairy Woods to be exact."

"Fairy Woods?"

"Hoy! Miss Tetra!" a male voice shouted loudly. Tetra turned to see a tall man standing nearby. He wore a green shirt that had a V-neck to it along with a pair of white pants and a bandana around his head. He had a muscular build and was jumping around to try to get Tetra's attention.

"Tetra?" Link asked. "Is that your name?"

"Yeah," Tetra spoke, not really paying attention to Link. "Hoy, Gonzo, come here!"

The man quickly rushed up to Tetra. "Oh, Miss Tetra, we thought we had lost you."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, that bird carried you off. We tried to fight it and get you back, but it was moving too fast. It dropped you here on the summit of this island."

"Dropped me on the summit, huh?" Tetra thought for a moment. "Wasn't that nice of it?" She turned to Gonzo, noticing he was staring at Link now. "Come on, we have to repay our debt to that bird."

Gonzo turned to watch Tetra rush off. "Wait! Miss Tetra! What about this boy? You just going to leave him?"

"Yes, he'll be fine!" Gonzo bit his lip and looked to Link, then turned back in the direction Tetra had run off. He quickly followed behind, and Link rushed after them. It took them all a moment to get back outside the forest, but when they did, Tetra looked around, examining the landscape. "Now where do we go?"

"Onii-chan!" Aryll shouted. Link turned to see Aryll standing on the other side of the bridge.

"Hey! Aryll! She's okay!" Link shouted back. "Come over here!"

Aryll quickly rushed forward to cross the bridge in front of her, but fate would have other plans. A loud squawk was heard as the giant bird from before flew forward at the group. Its eyes locked onto Aryll, and it flew towards her. Its giant talons gripped her and picked her up, tearing through the bridge as it did. The bridge snapped apart, and soon pieces fell into the water below.

"Aryll!" Link shouted. He growled and rushed forward. "You won't get away from-" Link's sentence was cut off as he found himself soon stepping off land. Tetra quickly rushed over and grabbed Link's hand before he fell too far, and she pulled to try and pull him up.

"Stupid kid!" Tetra shouted. "She's gone! There's nothing more you can do for her!" Link could only watch as the giant bird flew off, taking with it his only sister. Tears came to his eyes as Tetra pulled him up onto the land. He immediately began to cry and Tetra just groaned. "Crybaby!" she spoke.

Link turned, his face suddenly expressing anger. His tears stopped and he grabbed Tetra. "My sister was just kidnapped!" he shouted. "How do you expect me to react? She's the only family I have other then my Grandma! She's my little sister! Don't you understand?" He growled and let Tetra go, turning away.

Tetra just stared. She had been in fights before, what pirate hadn't? But this was strange to her. Link cared so much for one person, one child. So what if it was his sister? Was family really that important? How could that even be possible? But then…maybe she didn't understand…because she herself had no family to worry about. Thoughts then hit her. What about her pirates? Weren't they family to her? They treated her like a queen, and like a mother. They were like her children, even though she was the youngest in the group. Would she feel the same way if one of them was suddenly stolen away before her eyes?

Tetra shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. "Look, kid, just tell us how to get down now," she spoke.

"I'm not a kid," Link spoke up. "And my name is Link."

"Link, eh? Fine, then, Link, how do we get down from here?"

"There's only two ways down. One is through the bridge that bird just busted. The other…" Link looked over the edge of the summit. "If you're no good at climbing, you won't survive." With that, Link pulled himself onto the side of the mountain and slowly climbed down. Tetra followed after, and Gonzo followed last. All three managed to make it down fine, and Tetra and Gonzo began to head back to their ship. "Wait."

Tetra turned around. "Yes?"

"Take me with you."

"What?!" Tetra shouted. "Are you kidding me?"

"You're going out to sea, right? Going over that bird? Let me come! I need to rescue my sister."

Tetra shook her head. "Where do you get off telling us what to do? On top of that, we are pirates, understand? P-I-R-A-T-E-S! Pirates! The scourge of the seas! Robbers of all that is good! What would we get out of taking a crybaby like you with us? A headache and nothing more!"

Link growled. "But it's your fault my sister was stolen away from me!"

"Excuse me?" Tetra shouted, she was mad now. "How is it my fault?"

"He has a point," a male voice spoke and Tetra and Link both turned. There they saw a man standing before them. He had a rather human body, but he had a beak upon his face. He seemed to have white hair, and his skin was rather dark. He wore a purple tunic and, what seemed to be, feathers came from the tunic and down his arms. "Sorry, I do not mean to interject into another's conversation, but I could not help but overhear your words. You were, after all, talking quite loudly."

Link and Tetra now looked around, noticing that they had, in fact, gathered the attention of a good portion of the island. They then turned back to the strange man at their sides. "And you would be?" Tetra asked.

"I am Quill, the postman."

"And what gives you the right to butt into other people's conversations?" Gonzo asked.

"Please, I do not mean to be rude by jumping in, and I will most certainly explain myself if you are silent for but a moment." Tetra and Gonzo nodded. "Now, you see, I am the postman, and as such, I wonder around the islands hearing all sorts of things. The main thing I have heard is that that bird from earlier has been kidnapping girls with long ears. If my eyes are not mistaken, there are many here with long ears, that young girl included."

Tetra gulped. She knew where this conversation was about to go. "If I am not mistaken, Miss Fearsome Pirate," Quill spoke, "you also have long ears."

"Y-yeah…" Tetra spoke.

"Then it is my assumption, then, that the bird mistook that girl for you, being both blonde and having long ears. Thus, I must assume that, if you hadn't arrived, that bird would not have taken that girl away, and this island would continue to live like normal."

"So…you're saying it's my fault?"

"Something like that, but not in such rude terms. I am simply saying that, if you had not arrived here, the girl would not have been taken. Thus, it is probably best if you make up for your troubles by taking this boy along to rescue his sister."

Tetra sighed and closed her eyes. "I understand you're point." She folded her arms over her chest. "Fine, but under one condition."

Link turned back to Tetra. "Which is?"

"None of this crybaby stuff. Simply put, you can come with us, but I don't want you crying about how you miss your family, or wish you could see them or anything like that. So, I will give you a chance to say good-bye to your family before we shove off. Once we leave, though, you won't be coming back for quite some time."

Link nodded. "I understand."

"Very well, then go on. We'll wait here for you."

"Also," Quill spoke up and they turned. "I forgot to mention this, but that bird is said to be making its nest on the Forsaken Fortress."

"The Forsaken Fortress?" Tetra shouted, once again catching the attention of most of the island. She bit her lip. "Damn it…that's not good."

"Such language for a girl."

"Yeah, well, it's called 'Sailor's Mouth'. You get it from being a pirate. Besides, it's really not that bad a word…"

"That is also true."

"So…what's the Forsaken Fortress?" Link asked.

"It used to be the home of some pirates we used to compete with," Tetra spoke. "But they're not operating anymore…something else took over…something even more terrible. If she's there, then it will be even harder to rescue your sister."

"I'm not afraid," Link spoke.

"You sure? There will be monsters, you know?"

Link nodded. "And I'm not afraid of monsters."

"Courageous…" Tetra spoke. "And wearing green clothes…" She shrugged. "Eh…anyway, you have something to do. Be back here in ten minutes. We ship off then whether you are with us or not."

Link nodded and turned around. He rushed back to his house, where he opened the door and looked inside. "Grandma!" he shouted.

"Up here, Link!" Grandma shouted and Link quickly climbed the ladder up to the top. "What's up, Link?"

"Grandma…" Link looked down. "Aryll was kidnapped…"

"What?"

"It's true…there was this big bird. It captured a girl and was flying over our island. Then pirates shot it, so it grabbed Aryll instead. I've worked things out and am going to go rescue her."

"Link…"

Link hugged his Grandma. "I'm sorry, Grandma…I'll make sure to bring her home safely."

Link's Grandma nodded and tears formed in her eyes. "Then…take that shield…" She pointed to a small shield on the wall. "Take it and go."

"Thank you, Grandma. I'll be back with Aryll, I promise." Link grabbed the shield and strapped it to his back. "Good-bye for now, Grandma."

"Good-bye, Link." The two hugged one last time, and Link rushed off. After the appointed time, the entire island gathered to wave farewell to Link as he waved from the deck of the ship. The ship began to move away from the island, and Link continued to wave, his eyes getting teary.

"You sure you want to do this?" Tetra spoke in a snot-nosed tone. Link turned to see her sitting there behind him. She had her arms pushed back to hold up her weight, and had her chest pushed out. "If you say something now, we can send you back easily enough." She sat up and pulled her arms behind her head, still pushing out her chest. It appeared she was either trying to be sexy, or she was just trying to keep Link's attention. In either case, Link was left to stare at her.

"I mean, honestly, if you're going to get all teary-eyed now, you might as well not come. There's no real point. You're just going to way us down."

Link rubbed his eyes and put on a serious face. "I'll be fine," he spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"All right." Tetra stood to her feet. "Then here's the deal. While you're on this ship with us, you're part of our crew. Since you're the new guy, it means you're the bottom rank. You're the lowest of all of us here, which means you'll work with the previous lowest, Niko. He'll tell you what to do, how to do it, and that's how you'll do it. Understood?"

Link nodded. "It's understood."

"Good." Tetra turned. "Now that that's out of the way. You can find Niko downstairs. I'd say I expect you two to work, but since Niko's only interest is playing games, I doubt you'll get any work done." Tetra then followed those words up by pulling off her jacket and tossing it at Link. "Here. One of your jobs will be doing laundry, so here is your first piece. Niko will show you what to do. At least, if I give you a task, I have a better chance of you completing it."

Link looked down at the vest in his hands, then up at Tetra. He sighed. This was going to be one strange adventure, he was sure of that. He was willing to take it, though, if it meant rescuing his sister from the hands of whatever lied at the Forsaken Fortress.


	3. The Forsaken Fortress

**Chapter 3: The Forsaken Fortress**

Tetra made her way into the cabin of the ship. She sighed as she entered her chambers and sat down upon her bed. She closed her eyes, then, after a moment, she turned to a picture that was hung up next to her. "The Hero of Time…" she spoke as she stared at the picture. It was a picture of a boy in green holding a sword above his head. Light shined from him, and the words around it were all of an ancient language lost to time.

"Did you finally return after all this time? Or is this boy just some random kid?" Tetra stood to her feet and walked over to a small dresser of sorts. Upon it were some jewels, which she pulled out of a small box and placed around her neck. She then closed her eyes and let her imagination go from there.

Everything around her seemed to vanish, and when Tetra opened her eyes, she was a princess in a castle. She stared out of a window and waved to a boy in green, wielding a rather impressive sword. She continued to allow her imagination run, and she imagined herself being rescued by the handsome man in green, and watching him battle against an evil wizard to rescue her.

It was then her imagination seemed to rewind. "No, no, no, that scene just isn't right," Tetra spoke as she watched the scene rewind. A bow appeared in her hand and she smirked. "That's better." The scene started over again, with the hero rushing at the wizard. She pulled her bow back and aimed forward, launching off an arrow at the wizard as well. The wizard now found himself with two enemies to battle, and so he switched to two swords.

"Hero!" Tetra shouted. The hero turned to her and she smiled. She tossed the bow away and drew a sword. "Let's fight together." The hero nodded, and the two charged forward at the wizard. Swords clashed, and finally, Tetra delivered the final blow. She smiled as she watched the wizard before her crumble to dust, and she turned back to her hero. "Thank you for rescuing me." She grew close to kiss him.

"Miss Tetra!" a voice shouted, and Tetra broke from her imagination.

"Ugh…" Tetra pulled the jewels off and stepped out of her chamber. "What is it?"

"Miss Tetra," a man spoke as he ran up to her, panting. He was fairly short and wore a gray and white striped shirt along with a pair of green pants. He wore an orange bandana around his head, along with a pair of cracked glasses.

"What is it, Mako?" Tetra was worried. No one eve ran to find her unless it was absolutely important.

"It's Niko and Link…" Mako held up Tetra's purple vest. It was covered in some sort of gunk. "They were fooling around while doing the laundry."

Tetra stared and sighed. "So…you came to me for this?"

"Err…yes…"

Tetra turned away. "Just take care of it. Have them clean up their mess and start again. I really don't need to be involved." She walked back into her chambers.

"Right," Mako spoke just before Tetra shut the door, then turned and walked off. Tetra returned to her imagination, and Mako dealt with Niko and Link. Finally, about two hours later, Tetra was met with a knock to the door.

"What is it?" Tetra asked.

"It's Niko and Link," a male voice responded.

"You finished the laundry properly?"

"Yes."

Tetra opened the door a moment later and looked out. Link stood there, holding a basket of sorts, and next to him was a man wearing a red and white striped shirt. He had blonde hair that was barely visible behind his blue bandanna, and he wore green pants. He had a fairly dumb look to himself, and the word incompetent probably fit best with him. "Let me see." Tetra shut the door behind her and stood there, looking at them. She didn't let anyone into her chambers.

Link opened the basket and Tetra began to dig through it, checking how the clothes were. "You missed this one." Tetra tossed a white shirt at Niko. The shirt was covered in dirt.

"S-sorry, Miss Tetra," Niko spoke.

"The rest look good." Tetra grabbed the basket. "Take that one back down and stick it as dirty laundry. I don't wear it often enough to care about it right now." She opened the door to her chambers and put the basket inside, shutting the door afterwards. "Now, you two haven't been playing games or anything this whole time, have you?"

"N-no, Miss Tetra," Niko spoke.

"You better not have been. I'm tired of you fooling around all the time, Niko. There is work to be done aboard this ship, so it must be done. You should not be fooling around all the time."

"Understood, Miss Tetra."

"As for you," Tetra turned to Link, "you've been doing a good job here so far. I'm impressed. You haven't been crying have you?"

"No," Link spoke.

"Very good. We should be at the Forsaken Fortress soon, so you'll be able to-" Her sentence was cut off.

"Miss Tetra!" Gonzo shouted from above the boat. "We're here! We're here!" Tetra then managed to hear him mumble something along the lines of "Why can't you just go down and tell her? I doubt she just heard me."

"I'll be up in a minute, Gonzo!" Tetra shouted. "You hear that, Link? We're there, so report to the deck immediately." Link nodded. "As for you, Niko, get to work cleaning the cabins. I want them all spotless, understood?"

"Yes, Miss Tetra," Niko responded. Link and Tetra began to walk off, but Tetra stopped for a moment and turned back.

"Oh, and Niko, when I say all of the cabins, I mean all but mine." Tetra was none too surprised to see Niko slowly opening the door to Tetra's chambers.

Niko quickly shut the door and saluted. "Yes, Miss Tetra." He then turned and walked off.

Tetra and Link then headed up to the deck of the ship. Once there, they noticed night had now set in. "Get up in the crows nest, Link," Tetra spoke and Link nodded. He quickly climbed the ladder up to the crows nest with Zelda following behind him. Once both had arrived up there, Tetra leaned her arms against the railing and looked forward. "That is the Forsaken Fortress."

Before them was a rather ominous place. Spotlights seemed to cover the whole of the island, constantly searching for intruders. The walls that lead into the island were tall, much taller then their ship. A single tower existed in the farthest section of the fortress, and seagulls could be seen flocking around a single window into the tower. "See that spot with the seagulls?" Link asked.

"Yeah," Tetra responded.

"That has to be where they are holding my sister. They always had a fascination for her, and were always flocking around her at all times."

Tetra looked at Link with a quizzitive look. "Why?"

"I don't really know…they just always do…"

"Interesting," Tetra spoke as she turned back to look at the tower. "Now we've got a problem."

"What's that?" Link asked.

"There's no way in. Take a close look. There's so many search lights and cannons, we'd be blown out of the water before we could ever get close enough to dock."

"Then…how do we get in?"

Tetra folded her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. She thought for a moment. A smirk crossed her lips, and she opened a single eye, looking at Link. Link guessed this was some form of wink to tell him that she had a plan. "Come with me." She climbed down the ladder, then whispered to Gonzo. He nodded and smirked. The next thing Link knew, he was getting grabbed and tossed into the cannon.

"What are you doing?" Link shouted.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" Tetra spoke. "We do this kind of thing all the time!"

"R-really?"

"Not really," Tetra spoke. Link was about to speak, but the cannon fired, and he found himself launching off. He screamed as he flew through the air, and Tetra just watched. A grin crossed her lips, and she closed her eyes. A moment later, Link found himself beginning to slowly dip down. Unfortunately, it seemed that he and his sword were now traveling at different speeds, for as he went down, his sword went forward, out of his sheathe, and flew forward, landing on the ground ahead. Link, on the other hand, just went down, slamming into the surface of the water below.

After a moment, Link floated to the top of the water, then paddled forward, pulling himself up to the nearest ledge. "Augh!" he shouted.

"Sounds like you're okay," Tetra's voice spoke, but its source was unknown.

"Tetra?" Link called as he looked around.

"Look in your back pocket." Link reached into his back pocket, and from it he produced a small, green, shining stone. "With this stone, I can see what's going on around you and talk to you. You'll see a rope, put that around your neck and wear the stone like a necklace." Link blinked, but did as he was told.

"Good, now then, it would appear that we made a small miscalculation. Your speed dropped the further out you got, but apparently your sword didn't. So, now you've kind of lost it."

"I've lost it?" Link shouted.

"Hush!" Tetra spoke loudly. "Don't yell! If you get caught, you're in trouble. There would be no problem if you had a sword, but the fact is, you don't. If you get caught, you're in deep shit!"

"Wow…foul language for a girl…"

Tetra growled. "Again, I'm a pirate, we swear, get over it!" She then cleared her throat. "Now then, you'll need to sneak through until you find your sword. Don't get caught by anything."

"Right."

"Your sister is in that tall tower. Get your sword, get to it, and get out of there, understood? Don't dillydally."

"Understood." Link sighed. "Here we go." He walked forward, making his way up the steps in front of him. As he looked around, he noticed the direction in which the tower was, as well as where the spotlights seemed to check. He bit his lip, and, at the one moment the spotlights split apart for only a single moment, he rushed forward, rushing between the gap and ducking into a nearby doorway.

Link bit his lip once more as he now found himself in a large, empty room. There were no hiding places, but there also seemed to be no guards either. He noticed there were two hallways, and he quickly pulled himself up against a wall and looked through the hallway. "What are those?" he whispered. In front of him were strange, pig-like creatures, but they walked on two legs.

"Moblins," Tetra spoke. "They are not an easy target, and without a sword, you won't be able to do anything to them…Get back to work!" The last part seemed like a sudden outburst, and Link jumped back. The Moblins had heard, and they were now making their way over to where Link was trying to hide. "Oh, jeez, I'm sorry!" Tetra whispered. "I was yelling at the pirates…"

"Does this thing pick up everything you say?" Link asked.

"Only if I forget to break the link with it."

"Then we'll have to work together. You need to be quiet if I am to be quiet."

"Watch out!" Link turned, and his eyes caught on one of the Moblins. It had just come out of the hallway and hadn't spotted him yet. Link bit his lip, and the Moblin turned to his left. Link turned, now noticing a barrel that sat nearby. Grabbing it, he quickly flipped it and tossed it over himself.

The Moblin finished turning, and its eyes searched left and right. "Nothing!" it shouted.

"Maybe it was your imagination!" the other Moblin spoke.

"Our imaginations, since we both heard it. It might have been a rat."

"Sounds rather intelligent for a Moblin…" Tetra whispered so quietly Link could barely even hear her. "Moblins usually don't even talk in complete sentences!"

"Well, come on, let's go back to the normal patrol, otherwise we might miss something," the second Moblin spoke.

"Yeah, I guess…" the first Moblin spoke.

The two Moblins turned in, and Link quickly looked out of a small hole in the barrel. Once he saw they were gone, he pulled the barrel off and gave a sigh of relief. "That was close…" Link spoke.

"It's not over yet," Tetra spoke, "We're nowhere near the end of this place. Plus, we didn't really escape them yet. You just evaded them for now. So, what are you going to do now?"

"Not get caught," Link spoke and dashed forward, rushing down the other hallway, which seemed empty. On the other side, he found himself in a large bunker. He looked around and noticed that he could get to the top floor by climbing one of the beds. "Nothing's here, so if I move fast enough, I should be fine." With quick speed, he grabbed one of the beds and quickly climbed up to the top bed. From there, he grabbed the second floor ledge and pulled himself up onto it.

Link made a quick dash out, then looked around. The path was clear straight forward. He made a quick dash forward, opening the door on the other side of the path before him. Once inside, he found himself stopped by two Moblins. They were patrolling the area just in front of him, and he quickly moved against the wall to avoid being seen.

Link bit his lip. The two Moblins were patrolling right in front of the door he needed to enter. As he looked around, Link noticed a small barrel nearby. "Tetra," he whispered.

"Yeah, Link?" Tetra whispered back through the stone.

"You said Moblins are normally stupid, right?"

"Normally, but those other Moblins didn't seem so dumb."

"I'm going to have to take a chance and hope these ones are dumb."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later." Link quickly grabbed the barrel and pulled it over himself. He peeked out of a hole in the barrel and sighed. "Here goes nothing." He slowly and carefully made his way forward. As he snuck forward, the Moblins before him continued their patrols. He bit his lip as he got close to them.

"Duh…hey!" one of the Moblins shouted. Link quickly dropped down, causing the barrel to drop to the ground and completely cover him.

"What is it?" the second Moblin asked.

"Duh…I thought that barrel moved…"

"Barrels don't move, you blockhead." The Moblin turned. "Although, now that you mention it…wasn't that barrel over there before?" Link bit his lip more as he began to become afraid that his plan may have been discovered. He heard the footsteps of the Moblin, and he quickly peeked out of the hole, seeing the Moblin making its way towards him.

Link felt the Moblin grip onto the barrel, and so he quickly grabbed the sides of the barrel, pushing with all his might to keep himself inside the barrel as he noticed it slowly lift up. "Shit, shit, shit," Link spoke in his head.

"Duh…doesn't look like anything is in the barrel…" the first Moblin spoke again.

"Looks like it…unless…" the second Moblin spoke and Link bit his lip even harder, repeating his swearing faster in his mind. "Nah…that'd be impossible." The Moblin set the barrel down and Link gave a sigh of relief. The Moblin then turned back to its comrade. "Nope, nothing in the barrel, back to patrol."

"Duh…roger…" the first Moblin spoke. Link carefully peeked out of the hole and noticed both Moblins had their backs turned. He quickly lifted the barrel and rushed forward. Once he was out of sight, he lifted the barrel off and opened the door quietly, sneaking through it.

"That…was too close…" Link spoke as he gave a sigh of relief. His heart was pounding.

"I take it your plan worked?" Tetra whispered.

"Almost didn't, but yeah, it worked."

"Good, now keep going."

"Of course." Link stood to his feet and began to walk forward. As he walked, he followed a path forward that led to a small cliff that was very narrow, and was actually too narrow to walk along normally. Link bit his lip once more and closed his eyes. "Why does this place have to be filled with so many death traps?" he asked himself, then pushed himself against the side of the wall. He carefully pushed himself along the side of the wall, moving ever slowly. "If I get seen here, I'm dead meat," he spoke.

Luckily, for Link, there was no such problem. He made it across the narrow path and onto a set of stairs that led up. He followed the stairs up and soon found himself staring at a massive door. In front of the door lied his sword, and his eyes went wide as he saw it. He quickly rushed over and grabbed it, giving a sigh of relief. "Got my sword back," he spoke to Tetra.

"Good, then you must be near the Prison Tower," Tetra responded.

"Yeah, I'm-"

"Lousy pirates, don't just stand there, there's cleaning to be done!" Tetra shouted rather loudly, and Link quickly tried to cover the stone in an attempt to muffle the noise.

"Tetra!" Link shouted in a whisper.

"Sorry, Link," Tetra whispered back.

"Anyway, I'm at the door into Prison Tower right now, so I should be able to save Aryll."

"Good, then make sure you do. It won't be easy, though, you know? So be careful."

"Of course." Link then stepped forward, pushing the door open slowly.

"My Onii-chan will be here any minute to save us," a female voice spoke. It sounded like Aryll.

"What makes you so sure?" another female voice asked.

"Because, my Onii-chan is very brave and very strong, and he'd do anything to save us."

The second female laughed. "I doubt that very much. We've been trapped here for days now, and you're brother hasn't shown up at all."

"Onii-chan will come!"

"Oy! Enough with the Onii-chan!" a third female voice shouted. "Look, kid-"

"Aryll," Aryll interrupted.

"Look, Aryll, no one is coming to save us. No one at all. Not a single person will be-" There was then a loud crash as Link slipped through the doorway and fall upon the ground. As Link looked up, he noticed he was now in a large, circular tower. A wooden path led up to the top of the tower, and at the bottom of the tower, the room was mostly empty, having nothing more then a large cage which held about four different girls; Aryll was one of them.

"Onii-chan!" Aryll shouted as she stood up and grabbed the bars of the cage. "He's here!"

"That's your brother?" one of the girls asked. She looked to be dressed in rather rich clothes, and it was obvious this was the second girl from before.

"Yeap, that's him."

"Doesn't look like much to me."

"You take that back!"

"Hey!" a third girl, dressed in rags shouted. She was the third voice. "Quit it, you two. It's obvious he's here, so let's give him a chance, all right?"

"Feh…" the rich girl spoke and turned away.

Link stood to his feet and waved to Aryll. "I'm coming!" he shouted. He took a step, then something caught his ear. He looked around as he carefully made his way across the room. Suddenly, he looked up, and he found the source of the sound. It was the giant bird from before, and it quickly landed on top of Link, gripping him in its talons. "Let me go!" he shouted.

The bird squawked and flapped its wings, flying up. Link hadn't noticed before, but there was no ceiling to the tower. The bird flew high as it reached, what appeared to be, the back half of a boat. It dropped Link down, then flew next to him. He looked up, finding himself face-to-face with a man in a long black robe. The robe was covered in a red tunic from the waist up, which was then covered by a black jacket. The man had dark skin, and a gem upon his forehead. His hair was short, and a deep red color, while also having a beard.

"What is this?" the man asked. The bird squawked in response. "Tried to rescue the prisoners? How…courageous…" The man picked Link up by the arm, and Link winced in pain. "You wear the clothes of the Hero, yet you have not the mark. What kind of game are you playing at boy?"

"Game?" Link asked. "I only came to save my sister."

The man laughed. "Your sister? How wonderful. How bold, but you are not the one I seek." The man tossed Link forward, and the bird caught him. "Get rid of him." The bird squawked and tossed Link up. It caught him in its beak, then flung its head, tossing Link away. The man sighed. "Are you the one, boy? I suppose we'll see soon enough, won't we?" The man turned, opening a door he had built into the side of the boat, then entered, shutting it behind him.

* * *

"Ain't that Link?" Niko asked.

Tetra looked up as she saw Link go flying overhead. "What the hell?" she shouted. "Damn it, go after him! I don't know what happened, but he would."

"All right, Tetra," Gonzo spoke as he turned the wheel hard to one side and the ship began to turn.

"All hands on deck!" Tetra shouted. "Pull the sails down and let's go! Who knows what that bird could have done to Link!" The other pirates quickly scrambled and went to work on moving the ship. Tetra growled. "Link, you better be alive…I'll kill you if you aren't."


	4. King of Red Lions

**Chapter 4: King of Red Lions**

"Link, wake up," a voice spoke, and Link groaned as he stirred. "Link!" Link's eyes shot open and he quickly sat up. He looked around a moment, examining his surroundings.

"Where am I?" he asked. He looked down, noticing he was now upon a small boat of some kind. As he looked at it, he noticed the boat was red in color, and had a long neck in the front that seemed to lead to a face of sorts. It looked like a human face with long gray hair, along with two yellow horns that stuck up at the top.

"You are on Windfall Island," the voice from before spoke and he looked around.

"Who's talking?"

"I am," the voice spoke, and the boat's head turned to look at Link. "I am the King of Red Lions," the boat spoke and Link fell back in shock.

"A talking boat?"

"Yes, I am a talking boat. The only talking boat in existence, for that matter."

"How can you talk?"

"By magic. It is the way I was designed, and my creator cast magic upon me to make me able to talk."

"Interesting…" Link blinked.

"Not only that, I am very special. My magic allows me to take objects of normal, everyday use and turn them into ship parts. For example, if you had a grappling hook, the magic on me would create a crane that you could control."

"What's a crane?"

"I'm…not quite sure…I apologize…those were the words my creator spoke…I am sure that…she…would know more then I…"

"Where is your creator?"

"Gone from this world now…" The boat gave a sigh.

"I see…" Link looked down. "You said you're the King of Red Lions, right?"

"That is correct."

"Mind if I just call you 'King' then?"

"Certainly," the boat nodded.

"All right."

"Now, I know you were trying to rescue your sister in the Forsaken Fortress, yes?" King asked.

"That would be correct," Link spoke. "But that bird captured me…and then there was this weird guy…he said something about 'the Hero' saying I wore the clothes, but I wasn't, because I didn't have the mark."

"So, that's it then. That man is a cruel man who has been around for centuries. He is a dark man who once tried to take over a grand kingdom. His name is Ganondorf, they call him the King of Evil."

"King of Evil?"

"Yes. He's a powerful foe, and there is but a single weapon that can defeat him."

"What weapon is that?"

"The Master Sword. It was forged by the ancient sages long ago to be used against evil. It is the only thing that can harm a Wielder of the Triforce other then another Wielder."

"Triforce?" Link asked. "That word…sounds familiar…" He put his hand to his chin and thought.

"It's not that important at the moment. To get the Master Sword, we will need to get three special objects; Din's Pearl, Nayru's Pearl, and Farore's Pearl."

"All right, and where do we get those?"

"Dragon Roost Island is where we will get Din's Pearl. It is said the Dragon God, Valoo, holds Din's Pearl. Of that, I am uncertain, thus we will have to find out."

"Well then, what are we waiting for, let's go."

"You sure seem in a hurry."

"I want to save my sister. I don't know what Ganondorf has planned with her, but it can't be good…"

"It is most likely nothing, due to the fact that Ganondorf is probably not capturing them to harm, but to find someone."

"Find someone?" Link asked.

"Yes, the Keeper of Knowledge," King spoke.

"Keeper of Knowledge? Who is that?"

"The Wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. It is a special title the Triforce bestows upon the one it chose. If you are the Chosen One of Wisdom, you are the Keeper of Knowledge. If you are the Chosen One of Power, you are the Forger of Strength. If you are the Chosen One of Courage, you are the Juror of Courage."

"And why would he think my sister is the Keeper of Knowledge?"

"It's not just your sister. He believes the Keeper of Knowledge will be a girl with long, pointed ears, much like she was back in the old days. She would also be blonde, at least, almost all of the past Zeldas have been."

"Zelda?" Link asked quickly.

"The Princess, of course. Her name is Zelda."

"You're sure of that? What if her name is something else?"

"Unlikely. All of the past Zeldas have been named that, and all the future ones will likely be named that as well." Suddenly, a small hatch opened on the boat, and a large mast rose from it, as if by magic. It clicked into place, then opened into a sail. The wind caught on the sail, and Link and King were off into the ocean.

"Now, we're going to Dragon Roost Island," King spoke. "which is off to the east of this island. It's a good thing the wind is blowing east. Now, you see that little handle behind you?"

Link turned, seeing a wooden handle behind him. "Yeah," Link responded.

"Grab it. I cannot turn myself, so you will have to steer. Pull it left, and we will go right. Push it right, and we will go left, understood?"

"Right is left and left is right, got it."

"All right, then watch for anything that we could easily crash into, and we're off!" King and Link continued to sail from there, heading further into the east. As an island slowly appeared in the distance, Link looked upon it in awe, as he noticed the mountain rose up high into the clouds.

"That's a tall mountain over there," Link spoke.

"That mountain's really not all that tall. It used to be a lot bigger…" King spoke, his voice trailing off.

"Really?"

"Yeah…really…" It took them what seemed like hours to get to the island, and could have very well been just that. As they approached the island, the sail dropped down into the hatch, and King slowed to a stop. "This is where we get off. Well, rather, you get off. Since I can't leave the water."

"Understood," Link spoke, nodding.

"Now, before you go, check inside me back there. You should see a little silver thing."

Link bent down, searching the floor of the boat. After a moment, he picked up a small silver baton, the sides of which seemed to be shaped into wind. "I see it."

"That is the Wind Waker. You will need it after this."

"What's it do?"

"Hop onto land, and I'll show you."

Link nodded and pocketed the Wind Waker. He got out of the boat, then walked up onto the land. He then pulled it out, looking back at King. "So, what does this thing do?"

"Using the Wind Waker, you can compose the air."

"Compose the air?" Link asked, confused.

"Yes…that's basically what it does anyway. You wave it, like a conductor. The very wind itself will obey what you conduct, and if you know how to, you can even control the wind, make it move in different directions."

"And how do I do that?"

King opened his mouth, then shut it as he thought. "I really haven't a clue. It was used last by a great king. He would conduct the wind to do as he wanted, and it would aid the land greatly. Furthermore, the baton is considered the highest conductor's baton, thus, any person who plays an instrument will play whatever you conduct, no matter what."

"Wow, that's amazing. So I just have to wave it to conduct, right?" Link waved the Wind Waker in the air, and it was almost as if the wind itself played a note. He waved it once more, this time in a different direction, and the wind seemed to play another note. "Wow…so I can literally play music with the wind?"

"In one case, yes, but its very limited in that way. If you know what to conduct, you can command the wind to blow in any direction."

"Amazing." Link stared at it, then quickly pocketed it again.

"Be careful with it now," King spoke. "That Wind Waker is probably going to be the most important thing to your mission. If you lose it, all will be lost. Grip it tight when you wave it, or it might fly out of your hand. If that happens in the ocean, we'd never be able to retrieve it."

Link nodded. "I understand. How do I learn how to use it properly?"

"It was created by the Wind Gods, Cyclos and Zephos. They are said to have monuments around here that, if the Wind Waker is brought to them, will summon the Wind Gods. There, they shall teach you the powers of the Wind Waker, and how to conduct with it properly."

Link nodded. "Then I need to find Din's Pearl, and I need to find the monuments, right?"

"Exactly."

"Understood. I'll be back when I have the pearl."

"Goddess speed, young one, and be careful, Valoo is an old and wise dragon, but if you threaten him, he will get angry. We must get the pearl peacefully, and he is the one who has it. Understood?"

Link bowed. "Understood."

"Then go, young Link, and may the Goddesses themselves aid you in getting the pearl." With that, Link turned and walked forward. He was heading deeper into Dragon Roost Island, and all Link had no idea what adventure awaited ahead of him.


	5. The Princely Delimma

**Chapter 5: The Princely Delimma**

Link groaned as he made his way up a long, winding path that led higher into the mountain. "How long is this path?" he asked, staring forward. "Wait…is that Quill?" Link quickly rushed forward, making his way forward. He stopped once he found himself on a wooden outlook. There, leaning against the ramp was Quill, the postman. "Quill!"

Quill turned and smiled. "Hey, there," he spoke. "You know, I don't believe I caught your name last time we met."

"Link, my name is Link."

"Link, eh? All right, then. So, why have you come here?"

"Well, I have to find something called Din's Pearl. I'm not sure where it is, but this boat told me it was with Valoo."

"With Valoo? Well, I don't know of any pearl that Valoo has. However, I do think I know of what you mean. Unfortunately, it would be out of your grasp at this time."

"Why?"

"Valoo has been acting strangely lately. He has suddenly gotten angry for unknown reasons and is now attacking anyone who comes near him."

"That's terrible."

Quill nodded. "But, this is a Rito problem. Best you go on your way."

"But I need that pearl, I'll help any way I can!"

"Hmm…" Quill put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "I will speak with the Chieftain. Go that way, you'll find the entrance to our domain over there." He pointed to a small cave entrance that was visible not too far away. "Just follow the path. I will go inform the Chieftain of your arrival. It must be you, though, who persuades him to let you help us." Link nodded in response and Quill held out his arms, the feathers on his arms extending into large wings. He then took off and flew upwards. Link turned, now following the path forward and through the cavern.

Link had arrived just shortly after Quill, and even noticed as Quill spoke with the Chieftain. After a moment, he walked forward, bowing. The Chieftain was a tall man, about as tall as Quill. He wore a gray robe that covered him from the neck down, and also wore a red tabard over the robe that had strange symbols on it. He had gray hair that was down to his shoulders, making him appear fairly old, and he was like any other Rito, having a large beak in the middle of his face. "So, you are Link?" the Chieftain asked.

"Yes," Link spoke, bowing.

"I see…and you think you can solve our problems?"

"If I knew what they were, then there would be a chance, yes."

"Our problems…" The Chieftain sighed. "The Great Valoo is acting up, growing angry and attacking any who go near him. This would not be such a problem, if it were not for the Great Valoo's importance to our tribe."

"And what importance is that?"

"The Great Valoo's scales are what give us our wings. When a fletchling reaches its adult age, it is to climb the mountain and take a scale from the Great Valoo, giving it wings. However, if the fletchling cannot get a scale from Valoo, that fletchling will never have wings, and if the process continues, our entire way of life could be destroyed."

"That's terrible," Link spoke.

The Chieftain nodded. "However, this is a Rito problem, not a Hylian problem."

"I want to try, sir," Link spoke, standing strong and positioning himself in a position of courage. "I want to show you that I can help."

The Chieftain stared for a moment. "You'd be willing to risk your life to help us?"

"Yes."

"Such courage…" The Chieftain closed his eyes. "I wish my son had that…Perhaps that's it. You must go to my son and show him courage."

"I…think I can do that…" Link spoke, a little unsure.

"I wrote my son a letter not too long ago…I gave it to Valoo's attendant…It was to my son…I hate to admit it…but I have not the courage to deliver it myself, so I gave it to her to deliver. She is supposed to give it to him later, but perhaps it would be best if you gave it to him instead, since you need to visit him anyway."

Link nodded. "And where is the attendant?"

"Up there." The Chieftain pointed to a cave passage up on a higher level. "Get the letter and deliver it to my son, who is over there." He then pointed to a passage behind him.

"Understood." Link turned and headed up the winding path to the second level. He entered the passage, and much to his surprise he found himself in a rather squared-off room. It looked much like an office of sorts, with a desk and everything.

"Hello," a female voice spoke, and Link looked forward. In front of him was a beautiful woman that looked about his age. She wasn't much shorter then Link, just an inch or two, and her brown hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a dark blue, short-sleeved dress which was then covered in part by a tabard, much like the Chieftains, though having a few different designs. Link noticed she had a fairly well developed chest, but the main thing he seemed to notice was the harp she was holding. The bottom seemed to be made of fine gold, while it had long wooden pieces that came from it, attaching to a silver bar at the top which held the strings to the gold piece.

Link's eyes stared at the girl before him, and the girl titled her head, then waved her hand in front of Link. He snapped out if it as some of the feathers on her arm brushed against his face. "Err…hi…" he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Something wrong? I said hello, then all you did was stare…"

"Err…no…nothing's wrong…" Link waved his hands in protest. "I just…was a little caught of guard is all."

"By my beauty?" the girl asked, pushing her back against Link. He blushed and all he managed to speak out after that was strange, incoherent babbling. The girl giggled and smiled as she pulled away from him. "My name is Medli, what's yours?"

"M-my name?" Link stammered for a moment, then cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "My name is Link."

"Link, huh? Cute name. So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I just saw the Chieftain, and he said you had a letter from him that you were supposed to give to his son."

"Ah, the letter to Prince Komali, yes." Medli nodded and quickly strapped the harp to her back. "Let me see." She searched through a few letters on the desk, then pulled one out. "This one, right?" She held it out for Link to see.

"Yeah, looks like it. I'm supposed to go take it to…you said his name was Komali?" Medli nodded at that. "He wants me to try and teach him courage, and he figured, since I'm going that way, he'd make it easier on you and just have me deliver the letter."

"Well, that does make sense." Medli gave a nod and handed the letter to Link. "Here you go, then." Link grabbed the letter, but Medli didn't let go of it. "Umm…before you take this…can I ask a favor?"

Link blinked. "A favor?" he asked.

Medli nodded and looked down. "It's…kind of embarrassing actually…you see…I'm Valoo's attendant…but the bridge is broken…and I can't get across to see him…"

"So what should I do?"

"I'll explain that later. Just promise to meet me at the entrance to the Dragon Roost Caverns once you've helped Komali, okay? It's the passageway right under this one."

Link nodded. "Sure, it shouldn't take long…at least I hope not."

Medli nodded. "All right. I'll see you there then." She let go of the letter and Link pocketed it carefully. Link then turned and walked off, heading back down the path, then off into the passageway that the Chieftain had spoken of. It led him down a long path, finally ending at a large door, which Link pulled open, peeking in.

"Hello?" he called out.

"Go away!" a boy's voice shouted.

"Umm…Prince Komali…is that you?"

"I said go away!"

Link sighed and slowly walked in, looking around. The room was definitely a royal bedroom, filled with all kinds of expensive looking drapes and decorations. A bed lied on one side, along with a chest for storage on the other. "Prince Komali, I know you're here…I just want to talk to you for a moment. You're father sent me with a letter."

"Father did?" the blankets of the bed seemed to fly off as a boy sat up in the bed. The boy looked rather young, wearing a white tunic that covered his arms and body, along with a pair of blue pants. He had brown hair that was fairly short, though the odd thing about his hair was how it seemed to go from brown in the back to gray in the front. In his arms, he gripped a small red ball of sorts, upon it was the Symbol of Power, which looked like a wave of wind.

"You're Prince Komali?" Link asked as he looked at the boy.

"Yes," the boy spoke, nodding. "I am. You said you had a letter from father?"

Link nodded and handed the letter to Komali, who opened it and read through it. "Have courage…easy for him to say…he's not facing against a dragon who attacks anyone who comes near it…"

Link sighed. "Tell me about this, Prince Komali. How does this ritual of yours go?"

"The Coming of Age Ritual?" Komali asked and Link nodded. He looked down. "We have to climb the mountain and go up to Valoo, the Dragon God up there at the top. He's normally peaceful, and he understands we need his scales to survive, thus willingly gives them up to us…but now he's become fierce. No one has been able to get a scale from him in a month."

"That's terrible."

"And worse still…" Komali looked down. "If we don't get the scales…we can't fly...the scales are what give us our wings."

"Then any of you who have wings have already gone through the process?" Komali nodded at that. "Interesting. At what age do you do it at?"

"Sixteen…" Komali spoke and sighed. "I just turned sixteen last week…but I can't possibly go up there…"

"What about that ball you have? I'm a little curious about it."

"This? It's precious to me. It listens to what I say and understands. Father doesn't. So I keep it close to me at all times."

"Listens to you?"

Komali nodded. "This is Din's Pearl, and it's said that anyone who has it can talk to Din herself…"

"Talk to Din herself?"

"Yes, Din, the Goddess of Power, one of three who forged our world. You don't know any of that?"

"Actually…I really wasn't told that part of the story…my family just celebrated someone called the Hero of Time…"

"The Hero of Time is the Chosen One of Farore, Goddess of Courage." Komali sighed.

"Komali…what can I do to help you have courage?" Link asked as he sat down on the bed next to Komali. "There must be something. You can't always cower like this…"

"Yeah?" Komali spoke, a somewhat angry tone in his voice. "Well, if you want me to have courage, then show me courage. You go up there and you meet with Valoo yourself."

"Meet with Valoo, huh?" Link turned and looked away.

"Not even you can, can you?"

"I can do it!" Link spoke, standing up and holding his fists up. "Watch, I'll do it, and then you'll have the courage to do it."

Komali stared at Link for a moment. He was surprised at Link's courage. "Then…if you can do it…I will, too. But you have to do it first!"

Link nodded. "Then I'll do it." He smiled and turned. "I'll meet with that dragon for you, then you'll see there's nothing to be scared of." He rushed forward, and Komali watched as he rushed out of the door.

"Link…" Komali spoke and hugged the pearl in his hands. "I wish I could have courage like you…"


	6. Dragon Roost Cavern

**Chapter 6: Dragon Roost Cavern**

"Medli!" Link shouted as he ran out of the passageway, and into a large opening. As he entered, he noticed that there was a cliff that lead to one side, then dropped down at least thirty feet. A little ways from there was another cliff that rose up to about the same height and had a path that continued onward. At the edge of both cliffs were railings that blocked anyone from going further, save for one spot which held a, now collapsed, bridge.

Medli stood at the edge of the cliff, standing right next to the broken bridge as she stared off to the other side. Ashes seemed to fly throughout the area, blowing in all directions. Medli turned after hearing Link's voice, and she smiled when she saw him. "Over here, Link," she spoke, waving.

"Medli!" Link quickly rushed to her side. "I'm here."

Medli giggled. "I noticed."

"What did you need me for?"

"Well, you see how this bridge is out?" Medli pointed down.

"Yeah, what about it?" Link asked as he stared at the bridge.

"Well, there used to be a lot of water right here between the cliffs, but in his anger, the Great Valoo caused a part of the mountain to shatter, and it caused the water flow to stop, and now, with all the heat, the water has evaporated. To make it even worse, the only way across, the bridge here, has been ruined as well. There's no way across without wings…but even my wings can't cross."

"Why not?" Link asked as he turned to look at her.

"Because, my wings aren't strong enough…I'd need a strong current at my back. But, if you lifted me, I might be able to get across."

"Lifted you?"

"Yes, lift me up, then throw me when I say so, and I should be able to get across."

"That sounds like a good plan. Is this the only way to Valoo, though?"

"Yes, why?"

"I promised Komali I'd get up there, too."

Medli put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment. "Ah! I know!" She grabbed a small pouch from her dress, then opened it. She reached it, and from it she produced a long length of rope, along with a grappling hook. "Throw me over there, then I'll use this to help you across, sound good?"

Link nodded. "Sure…but…how did you fit that in that small pouch?"

"It's magic," Medli spoke as she smiled, then gave a giggle. "It has a special spell on it that allows me to stick anything in it that I want, and it shrinks the items down so that they fit."

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Yeah…but the rope gets tangled a lot…I have to be careful."

Link nodded. "All right, you ready, then?"

"Yeah." Medli knelt down and Link slowly lifted her above his head. She extended her arms, and they quickly became wings. She looked down, then noticed Link was quite red. "Something wrong?"

"Just…trying to be modest…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…I can see under your dress if I look up…" Link spoke, turning his eyes off to the right.

Medli turned red at those words. "I…didn't realize…you weren't looking were you?"

"N-no! I mean…not after the first time…but that was an accident!"

Medli turned an even deeper shade of red now. "Well…l-let's just get this over with…"

"R-right…whenever you're ready."

Medli felt the wind begin to blow behind her. "Now!" she shouted and began to push against Link's arms. At the same moment, Link pushed his hands forward, making Medli launch forward across the chasm. She flapped her wings quickly, and after a moment, her feet landed safely on the other side. She quickly pulled her hands down, making her wings close up once again. She then turned back to Link and waved.

"All right, now what?" Link shouted.

"Grab onto this!" Medli shouted back as she tied the rope onto one of the railings. She then twirled the grappling hook in her hand as she took aim, then tossed it across the chasm. Link quickly grabbed onto it and waved. "Now, just jump!"

"Jump, right…" Link jumped forward, and he felt himself beginning to fall as the rope tightened and he arced forward. He then noticed the side of the cliff approaching quickly, and he quickly stuck his legs out, closing his eyes. He felt his legs hit the side of the cliff, and for a moment, his body froze in place from the shock. After a single moment, though, Link opened his eyes, finding he now only had to climb to get up.

Quickly, Link began to pull on the rope as he climbed up the side of the cliff. Medli gripped the rope and began to pull as well. After a moment's climb, Link had made it up the side of the cliff and over the railing, giving a sigh of relief as he looked up at Medli. "That…was kind of freaky…"

"Sorry, but it was the only way to get us both across."

Link nodded. "It's fine…just remind me to be a little more prepared for that sudden stop at the wall next time." He chuckled a little, and Medli giggled in response. He then stood to his feet and looked forward. "All right, now where do we go?"

"Along this path. It will lead us to Dragon Roost Cavern. Once there, we just have to make it through and climb up to Valoo."

"Doesn't sound too hard."

"It really shouldn't be. About the only thing you have to worry about inside the caverns is the Keese."

"Keese?" Link asked.

Medli nodded. "Big black things that hang from the ceiling. They have big wings and fly around and screech at you."

"Ah, ok." Link and Medli then walked forward, making their way down the pathway until they got to another cave entrance. After walking inside, they found themselves face-to-face with two Bokugoblins. Link quickly drew his sword and jumped in front of Medli. "Stay behind me."

"What are those things?"

"I'm not sure, but they're not something nice either. I've fought a couple of them before." Link took a few steps forward, and the Bokugoblins turned to look at him. They growled, then roared, rushing forward. Link quickly brought his sword up to block one of them, then quickly jumped to the side to avoid the attack of the other. He then performed a roll to the side, which got him behind of the Bokugoblins, and with a quick jump, he brought his sword up the back of the beast, which caused it to collapse to the ground, dead.

The other Bokugoblin roared and rushed forward, and Link quickly jumped into the air. The monster watched as Link flew over its head, bringing his sword down to strike the monster right in the head, taking it out. He then landed perfectly on the other side of the creature. He smiled and sheathed his sword. "There."

"Terribly gruesome," Medli spoke.

"Well…you got to do what you got to do I suppose," Link spoke.

"Still…the way you cut those creatures up…" Medli shook her head in disgust.

"I doubt that's the last of them, though."

"That's what worries me." Medli sighed, then stepped forward. "Come on." She walked forward, heading through an archway ahead of her which led to a large room. The path led over to a long bridge, and off the path, down several feet below them, was lava, bubbling hot below them. "Don't fall down…"

"Now that is disgusting…" Link spoke.

"What?" Medli asked.

"The thought of falling down there…You fall into the lava, your skin burns away, then all your muscles and bones, and in the meantime, you're basically still alive during the whole process, up until it takes out any vital organs and kills you."

Medli shivered at those words. "Eww…now that you mention it that is gross…"

The two of them then made their way slowly across the bridge. It was an old rope bridge, having been there for who-knows-how-many years. Pieces of it had burnt away in the height of the room, while other pieces looked as if they were ready to burst into flame at any moment. Other pieces seemed fairly new, so signs of the bridge having been repaired over the time it was there.

Link drew his sword as they crossed the bridge, watching the ceiling for anything that could attack while they crossed. They noticed a few Keese here and there, but none bothered to attack, thus they left them alone. As they progressed further, they made their way into another room that was pitch dark. The only light was coming from a nearby torch. "Link," Medli spoke, grabbing him.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Take that torch, that way we can see. I don't see any other light source ahead of us."

"Got it." Link grabbed the torch and turned, looking forward. The path continued on a ways before it finally came to an end with a rather large opening. Light poured through, and Link tossed the torch to the ground and rushed forward. Once through, they followed the path up the mountain, until they reached the top, where a circle of railings were. At one side of the circle sat Valoo, roaring loudly and stomping his feet, breathing fire into the air.

"Great Valoo!" Medli shouted and rushed forward. She stopped in front of him, and Valoo looked down. "Valoo'mashta," Medli spoke as she bowed.

"Kinash, jea net haru?" Valoo spoke as it looked at Medli.

"Medli ye delei jea."

"Medli…" Valoo then roared and stomped its feet again. It looked up and released flames into the sky. Medli stepped back a little, then pulled her courage up and looked at Valoo once more.

"Valoo'mashta, inuse ye haru? Ofenai net kuue?"

"Ani ofenai mihal!"

"Valoo'mashta, Rito oyan ofenai."

"Ani ofenai mihal, akakai jyun befai."

"Befai jyun akakai?" Medli almost shouted in shock. She bit her lip and looked down. "Zei Rito haru. Valoo'mashta, yoki neui tain?"

"Alu, kar hei melu hege befai."

"Zoirun, Valoo'mashta." Medli bowed and rushed back to Link.

"What…was all that about?" Link asked, blinking in confusion. "I didn't understand a word."

"Sorry, the Great Valoo speaks in 'the Old Language' as he calls it. I had to study it to become the attendant."

"Interesting, and what did he say?"

"Something has the Great Valoo's tail, and continues to pull on it. Something under the mountain. It causes him pain, and before he can settle down, we will need to kill whatever it is."

"Then how do we get down there?" Link drew his sword as he spoke those words. "I'll take care of it."

"You'll need this to get down there." Medli handed Link her pouch. "The grappling hook is inside. Go down this path, and you'll find a small branch hanging out of the mountain. Hook to that, and swing across. There will be a passage under that which leads up some stairs. At the end of those stairs, you will find a passage that leads right underneath the Great Valoo."

"Question…why wasn't that place sealed up? And why does Valoo hang his tail through a hole in the mountain?"

"You'd have to ask Valoo the second question. As for the first, I really don't know, sorry."

"It's all right, I wasn't really looking for an answer anyway." Link quickly tied the pouch onto his belt, then turned. "I'll be right back." Medli nodded and waved as he then walked off. He followed Medli's instructions, taking the path down a ways until he came to the branch. Using the grappling hook, he quickly caught the branch, then pushed off, flinging himself over onto another path. He then pulled the grappling hook back, then rushed forward, entering the passage before him.

The room Link now found himself in was dark. On the other side he could see a room lit by magma, and he quickly rushed through, entering the larger room. He looked up, finding Valoo's tail hanging down from above him. The room, however, was completely empty, and Link bit his lip as he looked around. Suddenly, a large creature jumped from the magma in the center of the room, moving up and grabbing Valoo's tail and pulling on it. Link heard Valoo roar in response, and begin to stomp around.

The insect then dived into the lava, just in time to avoid parts of the ceiling from collapsing on it. It then popped up once more and roared, now seeing Link upon the ground. "That's a big bug…" he spoke as he now noticed the beast looked like some form of large worm with long, spider-like legs. The beast brought two of its legs down on either side of Link, then roared loudly as it grew close to him. Link quickly jumped onto the creature's head and it stared at him. "Die, sucker," he drove his sword down, but the creature quickly closed its eye, and the sword seemed to clang against a solid sheet of armor.

"Damn…it!" Link shouted the last word as he went flying across the room as the creature flung its head up. In a desperate move, he grabbed onto Valoo's tail, making Valoo roar once more and begin to stomp around. This caused more of the ceiling to collapse down, this time striking the creature a few times. Cracks in the beast's armor appeared where it was struck, and Link smirked as he quickly jumped down onto the creature.

The hits from the ceiling had also knocked the creature out, causing it to lie upon the edge of the magma. Link quickly rushed to one of the cracks and drove his sword down, causing the creature to roar loudly as it flung its head back once more, sending Link flying into the air. Once again, he grabbed onto Valoo's tail, causing the dragon to stomp around once more, and causing more of the ceiling to collapse upon the insect's body. This time, a rather large rock had crushed down onto the creature's face, and it fell back into the lava.

"Did I kill it?" Link asked as he stared down. After a moment, the insect jumped out of the magma once more, flying upwards at Link. He noticed the entire front sheet of armor had shattered from the rock, and he quickly let go of Valoo's tail and drove his sword down into the beast's head.

The insect twitched for a moment, then fell forward, landing against the ground hard. Link rolled off of the insect and against one of the walls, only to witness as the creature sank into the lava, taking his sword with it. "Well…crap…" was all Link spoke as he witnessed his sword melt away within the magma.

Link stood to his feet and sighed. "I…think I killed it that time…" He waited a few moments, but when he watched as the creature's dead body floated to the surface of the lava, he knew he had won. He turned, gave a sigh, and walked off, heading his way back up the mountain to meet with Valoo and Medli once again.


	7. Waker of the Winds

**Chapter 7: The Waker of the Winds**

"Valoo'mashta," Medli spoke as she stared up at Valoo. Valoo had now been calm for several minutes, and even Valoo himself was surprised at this. "Valoo'mashta, net tain oi?"

"Ani reshi ka oi, Medli," Valoo spoke. "Dilei befai ye na domume ofenai."

"Baezu miare." Medli smiled and gave a sigh of relief.

"Medli!" a voice shouted, and Medli whipped around quickly. Her eyes met with Link as he ran up to her. "I'm back," he spoke as he doubled over, panting heavily.

"I see that," Medli spoke and giggled. "You like to speak the obvious a lot, huh?"

Link stood up now and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…I guess I do…"

"So…what happened?"

"Oh yeah! There was this huge creature…and it tossed me…and I grabbed Valoo's tail…and the rocks fell…and I stabbed it in the eye…and…and…it ate my sword!"

Medli blinked. "It…ate your sword?"

"Well…actually…I stabbed it in the eye…and it fell over…and then I hit the wall…and…I kind of hadn't pulled my sword from its eye before it fell into the lava…"

"Oh dear…that's not very good, is it?"

"No, especially since that was a special sword…and now it's all melted and gone…"

Medli giggled a little. "You know, you're kind of cute."

Link blinked and blushed a little. "Th-thanks…"

"Fugal Hei, ani gensae ikroma kennga ali hei ofenai dilei befai," Valoo spoke.

"Eh…what?" Link asked.

"He says thank you for killing the creature who was attacking his tail," Medli translated.

"Oh…in that case…your welcome…" Link rubbed the back of his head.

"Valoo'mashta, Link oyan naggen."

"Net tain ali Shinlu Hei ke Farore?"

Medli blinked, then turned to Link. "He asks if you are the Chosen One of Farore?" she translated.

Link blinked. "Chosen One of Farore? Like…the Juror of Courage?" he asked. "I…don't have the Triforce of Courage if that is what he means…"

Medli turned back to Valoo. "Chen aun maff zeu ali Triforce ke Courage, Valoo'mashta."

"Na, ani fatei maff zeu rendelne chen dea zeu mii. Fugal Hei, haru iste tain kian?"

"He asks 'what do you seek'?" Medli translated once more.

"To save my sister from Ganondorf," Link responded, and Valoo's eyes shifted, now looking intently and more directly at Link.

"Dea daireh chell reinel jiise Ganondorf, Valoo'mashta."

"Ganondorf…" Valoo looked down. "Ije, ani o xaji krai…" Valoo sighed. "Tain soia garno dea bii ali Master Sword dea daireh tiiua reinel."

"He says 'you will need to get the Master Sword to save your sister'," Medli translated once again.

"I know of that," Link nodded. "I need three pearls to get it. I was told Valoo had one."

"Chen oyan chen garnozu ae xami jiise tain dea bii mii." The look on Medli's face showed she was getting tired of translating between the two.

"Ani ihuen mi idea Komali sonen ae mishal min," Valoo spoke.

Medli sighed. "He says he gave it to Komali a while ago," she translated.

"Then that is what Komali had…" Link thought for a moment. "All right…thank you, everyone, I think I know what to do now."

Medli gave a sigh of relief at the thought that she would not need to translate anymore. "That's good. What do you need to do?"

"Get Din's Pearl from Komali…I'm sure I can get it from him…now that he'll have courage to come get a scale from Valoo."

Medli nodded. "It sounds good to me. I'll help you get back down, and we can talk to him."

"Thanks, Medli."

"Fugal Hei," Valoo spoke suddenly and Medli groaned at the thought of having to translate more. She hoped this would be short. "Tain soia garno dea kian hengu ali Aki Jeilzu. Daru soia yoki tain bii dea dukku tain garno dea je."

"The Great Valoo says…" Medli sighed. "'You will need to seek out the Wind Gods. They will help you get to where you need to go.'"

"Okay…any idea where they are?" Link asked.

Medli thought for a moment. "Umm…" After a moment, she turned to Valoo. "Valoo'mashta, dukku net ali Aki Jeilzu?"

"Daru zeu umeshuzu re ali ikronremei ke ali ahun," Valoo responded.

"'They have monuments on the backside of the island," Medli translated.

"The backside of the island, huh?" Link spoke. "All right, we'll go there as well, then. Umm…hey, Medli…what's the word for 'Thank you'?"

"'Thank you'? That's 'gensae'."

Link nodded and turned to Valoo. "Gensae, Valoo'mashte." He gave a bow, and Valoo bowed his head in response. He then turned to Medli and smiled. "Let's go."

"Ok." Medli smiled back and the two turned and began to head back down the island. After a time, Medli had Link pick her up once more, then flew them the short distance from there back to the Rito Domain.

"Oh, Link, there you are, how did the talk go with my son?" the Chieftain asked.

"Good, and I made a promise to meet with Valoo to show him my courage," Link replied.

"And how did that go?"

"We discovered Valoo was actually not angry with anyone. He was simply agitated because something kept pulling on his tail. I killed it, and now he's fine."

"Really?" a voice asked and the Chieftain and Link turned. Komali was now standing behind his father, his arms wrapped around Din's Pearl. "Is that really what happened?"

"Yeah," Medli nodded. "Link bravely went in and killed the beast."

Komali looked down. "I wish I had courage like that…"

Link smiled and put his hand on Komali's shoulder. "You can, but you need to take it one step at a time," he spoke. "If all you do is clutch that pearl and hide yourself away in fear, you'll never have any courage. Use what courage you have, and when you have, more will come to you."

"Is that true?"

Link nodded. "It's how I got my courage."

Komali nodded and looked down at Din's Pearl. "Then that's what I'll do."

"Oh yeah, Prince Komali, is it all right if I could have that pearl you have?"

Komali looked up at Link and blinked. "Why?"

"Well, for one, you won't need it anymore. And two, I'm actually on a quest to get all three of those pearls. I need them to rescue my sister."

Komali looked back down at the pearl, then back up at Link. "Ok, you're right, I don't need to hold onto it anymore…I think…having this…made me less courageous anyway…" He handed the pearl to Link. "Just don't lose your courage while you have it."

"I won't, I promise," Link smiled and took the pearl into his hands.

"Oh, Link, that Grappling Hook, go ahead and keep it," Medli spoke. "You'll need it more then I will. Keep the pouch as well, it'll just be easier if you have it all."

"Are you sure?"

Medli nodded. "Absolutely."

"All right, then. I guess all that is left is to check out those monuments."

Medli nodded. "I'll show you where they are." She turned and began to head out the front entrance to the domain, and Link followed close behind. They took the path down the mountain, finally reaching the bottom of the island. It was there that a small path existed that led behind the island and to two small monuments that looked similar to gravestones. "Oh no!" Medli shouted at the sight of them.

"What's wrong?" Link rushed forward to look at what she saw. Before them lied only one monument. Upon it was the word "Zephos" followed by some strange symbols. Next to it lied the second monument. It had been shattered, the stones of the monument lying all across the ground.

"Someone destroyed the monument to Cyclos!" Medli spoke rather loudly, worry gripping her voice. "Cyclos must be enraged by this!"

Link bit his lip. "An enraged god would be terrible…" he spoke as he looked back. He then examined the monument to Zephos for a moment. He noticed the strange markings looked oddly like the Wind Waker, and were formed in a certain pattern. He quickly gripped the Wind Waker and pulled it out, holding it forward.

"What's that?" Medli asked as she looked at it. "Is that a conductor's wand?"

Link nodded. "It's the Wind Waker."

"The Wind Waker?" Medli shouted. "That hasn't been seen in many hundreds of years. Where did you find it?"

"My boat found it…I guess…" Link rubbed the back of his head in nervousness as he now turned to look at Medli.

Medli put her hand to her chin. "What did you find on that monument?"

"Instructions…I think…" Link turned back to look at the monument. "Let's find out." He rose his hands, then began to wave the Wind Waker in the same pattern as monument showed. As he finished, the wind seemed to completely stop, then Link waved the Wind Waker one last time. With the last wave, the wind began to blow in the direction the Wind Waker pointed. "I can control the wind…" he spoke, feeling the wind on his back now.

"That you can," a voice spoke and Link turned. Much to his surprise, he was met by a large frog about as big as him. The frog seemed to float upon a cloud and its skin was the typical shade of dark green as most frogs have.

"Wa!" Link fell back as he found the frog was now only a few inches from his face. "Who are you?"

"I am Zephos, one of the Wind Gods." The frog bowed. "Sorry for startling you."

"It's all right." Link nodded.

"With the song you just learned, you can command the wind to blow however you wish. Blow up, blow down, blow left or right, it doesn't matter. Also, with the learning of this song you have become the new Waker of the Winds."

"And…what does being the Waker of the Winds mean, exactly?"

"It means you are destined to be a hero in some way or another, whether small or large, you will be a hero. Ah, and as another note…be warned while sailing out on the seas. Cyclos has become enraged by the destruction of his monument and has sent cyclones all over the Great Sea. Most are insignificant, but some are grand cyclones that will catch you and suck you in. I pray you never encounter one so great…but if you do, use your eyes hard, for Cyclos exists within and your only hope of freedom would be to defeat him."

"Defeat him? How do I defeat a god?"

"If you hold fast with courage, and you look hard with your eyes, and you think with your wisdom, you will be able to defeat him. That is all I can say." Zephos then waved at Link. "It is time for me to leave, farewell." Before Link could speak another word, Zephos had blown away with the wind and vanished from sight.

"Waker of the Winds, huh?" Link looked at the Wind Waker, then back in the direction Zephos had flown. "Thank you, Zephos," he spoke, then turned back. "It's time for me to leave as well, Medli."

Medli nodded. "You will always be welcome here," she spoke. "Farewell."

"Farwell. I'll return one day…once I've saved my sister."

"Then I'll see you then." Medli then turned and flew away, while Link returned to the King of Red Lions to continue on his adventure once more.


	8. Forest Haven

**Chapter 8: The Forest Haven**

"You what?!" King shouted as they sailed through the Great Sea. They had just left Dragon Roost Island when Link decided to tell King about his adventure on Dragon Roost Island and how he had lost his sword.

"Honestly…it wasn't really my fault," Link spoke. "I stabbed the creature in the head, then it slammed me into a wall. I was partially knocked out as it sank into the lava."

King gave a groan. "Without that sword, your mission will not be easy. We still have two pearls left to get, and if it was that difficult to get Din's Pearl, who knows what it will take to get the others."

"I know…"

King sighed. "Well…I guess it really can't be helped anyway…"

Link watched around him as they passed a few more smaller islands. So far, there had only been a few islands large enough to sustain any form of life. "So now…which island are we going to?"

"It's an island known as Forest Haven," King spoke. "On the island we will find the Great Deku Tree – the Forest God – who holds Farore's Pearl. Once we get that, then we have to go off to Greatfish Isle, where we will be meeting with Jabun – the Fish God – who holds Nayru's Pearl."

"Dragon God, Forest God, and Fish God…there's a lot of gods in this world, aren't there?" Link asked.

"Even though they are called gods…it is possible that they may just be glorified creatures…Ancient Lore suggests that Jabun used to be known as the 'Guardian of the Zora'."

"What's a Zora?"

"An ancient creature that has now gone extinct from what I can see…I haven't seen a Zora in a long time, and these seas are grand and could definitely sustain their kind of life."

"So then…they were fish creatures?"

"Yes."

"A fish creature that is extinct…yet there are such grand seas…What happened to them?"

"I don't know, Link…I really don't know…" King and Link continued to sail through the Great Sea, and Link noticed how the sun was beginning to set. There was still no sign of the island they were sailing towards, and Link was beginning to doze off. "Tired?"

"Yeah…with all that adventuring on Dragon Roost…and that battle…I'm feeling tired…"

"Well, once we reach Forest Haven and you've gotten Farore's Pearl, then we will stop and rest for a while."

"That sounds good."

It was another hour or so before a rather large island appeared in sight. It looked much like a large forest built upon a tall mountain. Not only that, but it seemed there were two such mountains, each stretching up into the sky. One forest looked light and beautiful, while the island next to it looked mangled and cruel. It almost looked as if something evil had conquered the forest and twisted it into its current form.

"This is Forest Haven," King spoke as the sail slowly came down and their speed began to slow. "The island next to it is the Forbidden Forest. I pray you only have to visit the Haven."

"What's in the Forbidden Forest?" Link asked.

"I don't know…but it is said the Forbidden Forest is full of monsters. Without a sword, I do not think you will last."

Link nodded. "I understand."

"Now then, the Great Deku Tree is somewhere in Forest Haven. When you meet it, be sure that you are not rude to the Deku Tree. He is an ancient deity that has existed now for many centuries. If you offend him, it may lead to rather dire consequences."

"Of course." Link pulled himself out of the boat and onto the island.

"Well, then, head off and meet with the Deku Tree…with luck, we may be able to get Farore's Pearl without incident."

"Understood." Link gave a bow then climbed up the island until he reached, what seemed to be, a small cavern entrance into the island. As he entered, he noticed how the cavern went up to the top of the mountain, then opened into the sky above. The entire area was green and lustrous, and all around was tall grass, flowing rivers, and beautiful flowers. In the center of the cavern lied a large tree that went high into the sky. "That must be the Deku Tree."

Link began to walk forward, noticing how the ground led around the tree and up a few levels until the ground became even. He then turned, noticing a face-like structure upon the front of the tree. A rather large lily pad seemed to sit in the center of the river directly in front of the tree, and Link quickly hopped onto it, then turned to the tree. "Umm…Great Deku Tree?" he called out. "Is that you?"

The tree shook for a moment, then a booming voice was heard. "Kinash, mii ye miare dea fala tain mazen, Mekkou ke Piea. Mii jyun reemu ai dea domu zeshu ein lanome inau. Tain pinali omenti, bonel. Jyun akakai meitrane dea tain?"

Link stared forward. "Umm…I…don't understand…"

There was silence for a moment, then the voice spoke once more. "I am sorry, I saw your clothes and I began to yearn for the times of old when I would commune with the Hero of Time. Might I ask your name, young one?"

"Umm…I'm Link. Are you the Great Deku Tree?"

"Yes, I am the Great Deku Tree, Diety of the Forest and Guardian of the Koroks."

"Koroks?"

"Yes, the Koroks are my children."

"Your…children?" Link asked as he began to try and visualize a race of tree-like creatures.

"Koroks! Come on out! This young one will not harm you." With those words, several small leaves seemed to shift on the Deku Tree, and eight small creatures popped out. They all looked like small logs of sorts, each having stubbles for arms and legs. A large leaf covered their fronts, and in their hands each held a large leaf that allowed them to slowly float to the ground.

Link's eyes went wide at the sight of such amazing creatures. "Wow…simply amazing!"

"These are the Koroks, and they are my children. Once the race of the Kokiri, the Children of the Forest, they have become the Koroks to survive here in this new land."

"New land?" Link asked as he blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, but that's not really that important. For what reason is it that you have come here, Link?"

"Oh yeah! I came to get Farore's Pearl. I need it to claim the Master Sword and save my sister."

"Farore's Pearl, you say?" the Deku Tree asked. "Yes, I do have that, actually. I would gladly give it to you, but it is essential to the Korok Festival. Perhaps…if you wait until after the festival? We will be beginning it soon enough."

"That sounds fine," King's voice suddenly spoke and Link jumped.

"King?" Link asked as his head darted left and right.

"The stone," King's voice spoke once more. Link quickly grabbed the stone from around his neck and looked at it. It was now glowing. "Through this stone I can speak with you, see what you see, and hear what you hear, just as Tetra can."

"Tetra…wait…Tetra!" Link shouted. "King…do you know anything about Tetra?"

"No, I simply know that she is probably still watching you, even at this moment."

"Still watching me, huh?" Link put his hand to his chin as he began to think. "Tetra…I hope you're okay…"

"She's a pirate, I'm sure she's fine."

"How do you know so much about Tetra, King?"

"I cannot explain that at this time. Perhaps in the future."

"Great Deku Tree!" a squeaky voice seemed to shout and Link looked up. "Big problems! Big problems!"

"Hollo?" the Great Deku Tree asked. "What is it?"

"It's Makar," a Korok spoke as it landed in front of the Great Deku Tree. This was Hollo. "We were flying here, and we took a shortcut over the Forbidden Forest, and he fell in!"

"What?" the Great Deku Tree shouted. "Why were you flying over the Forbidden Forest? I told you never to fly around there!"

"We knew we were late… so Makar suggested flying over the forest to go faster…then he fell in…"

The Great Deku Tree gave a sigh. "I see…" There was silence for a moment before the tree spoke once more. "Link, may I ask you to go rescue Makar, then?"

Link nodded. "Sure," he spoke. "The Forbidden Forest is that island next to this one, right?"

"Yes…but be careful…there is great danger within. Also, you cannot get there on your own…" The Great Deku Tree rumbled loudly and a large leaf floated down from the top of the tree. "This is the Deku Leaf. Use it when there's a strong wind at your back and you will be able to get to the Forbidden Forest."

"Understood, Great Deku Tree." Link then bent down and took the Deku Leaf into his hand.

"Hollo, show Link the way to the Forbidden Forest, but do not go with him. Just show him the way."

"Understood, Great Deku Tree," Hollo spoke, then turned to Link. "Come with me." He then began to walk off towards a cavern.

"When you return with Makar, we will perform the ceremony and I will give you Farore's Pearl," the Great Deku Tree spoke. "And please hurry. We must have it returned before the day ends. Our ceremony must be performed tonight."

"Of course, I'll be back with Makar shortly, then." Link then turned and walked off, following Hollo away from the Deku Tree and into a cavern which ended at the outside of the island. There was a small cliff edge that then extended out and pointed towards the Forbidden Forest on the other side.

"From here, you just need to fly over to that cavern," Hollo pointed out a cliff edge that led to a cavern in the Forbidden Forest. "You'll find Makar inside there somewhere."

"The Forbidden Forest…what's it like?" Link asked as he gripped the Deku Leaf in his hand.

"No one knows…but it is said that it was once a grand forest. They say something cursed it, though, and it became the Lost Woods."

"Lost Woods?" Link asked as he looked at Hollo.

"Yeah…it goes by both the Forbidden Forest and the Lost Woods. It is said that any who enter are turned into Stalfos…"

"Stalfos?" Link asked.

"A nasty undead creature. It's said to be nothing but bones and armor."

Link turned to look up at the Forbidden Forest. "A creature of nothing but bones and armor…that doesn't sound good at all. If those who enter the Forbidden Forest get turned into Stalfos, then you think there might be some in there right now?"

"There might be."

"How would you kill one if there was?"

"That…I honestly don't know."

"Then…I guess I just have to hope I never run into one…How do I get over there?"

"The Deku Leaf. We Koroks can use it to fly, but you might not be able to because you're so big. You might still be able to use it to float, though. If you had a straight wind, if you jump from here, you should be able to hit that cyclone just right out there on the ocean." Hollo pointed out to a cyclone that seemed to be swirling nearby. "If you hit that, it'll be a little rough for a moment, but assuming the wind stays going straight, you should be able to make it out of the cyclone and straight to the Forbidden Forest."

"If I had a straight wind…" Link spoke as he thought for a moment. He then grabbed the Wind Waker from his side and held it forward. "The power to control the wind…" Link held the Wind Waker up to his face and closed his eyes. He then waved the Wind Waker around in the directions he had seen on the monument on Dragon Roost Island. The wind stopped blowing, and he aimed the Wind Waker at the Forbidden Forest, and the wind soon blew forward in the direction Link commanded.

"Now…to float…" Link gripped the Deku Leaf as he put the Wind Waker away. He held it up into the air, then closed his eyes. He could feel magic flowing through him, as if speaking on how to use the leaf. He brought his second hand up into the air, then rushed forward, jumping off the edge of the path. At once, the Deku Leaf grew outwards, bending down into Link's second hand and forming a sort of parasail which then caught upon the wind.

Link's eyes then opened as he found himself slowly floating through the air, moving in the direction of the wind. "It worked!" he shouted. "Yes!" It was then that he noticed how close he was to the cyclone. At once, he felt the cyclone lift him into the air as he swirled around the edge of it. He tried to scream, but he found he had no voice from the wind around him. After a moment, he felt himself being tossed from the cyclone, and his hands gripped the Deku Leaf harder, in a hope that he would survive.

At once the Deku Leaf once again caught on the wind, and he found himself floating towards the Forbidden Forest. It took only a moment more before his feet hovered over a small cliff that formed an entrance into the Forbidden Forest. At once, he let go of the Deku Leaf, and it returned to its normal form, allowing him to drop to the ground below.

"This is it, then, huh?" Link asked as he turned to the Forest, now noticing the entrance to the Forbidden Forest looked much like a face with its mouth open wide. "This mangled and rotten forest…it looks like the spawn of evil itself…" He sighed and summoned his courage. "No turning back now, Link. Let's just hope that whatever lies inside, is something you can handle…" With those words, he stepped forward, stepping forward into the mouth-like entrance of the Forbidden Forest.


	9. Forbidden Forest

**Chapter 9: The Forbidden Forest**

"It doesn't seem so bad so far…" Link spoke as he took a few steps. The inside of the Forbidden Forest was just as he had expected it to be, dark and depressing. The walls of the cavern that made up the inside of the Forest was covered in vines, and Link swore the vines themselves were alive, as they seemed to move as he stared at them. The room he had found himself in was a large, nearly triangular room. The path led forward and up a hill to a small cavern entrance.

Link's eyes examined the room around him as he noticed he seemed to be the only living creature in the room. However, the sheer silence of the room frightened him. "Is it just me, or is it too quiet in here?" he asked himself as he stepped forward slowly.

"Be careful, Link," King's voice spoke through the stone around his neck. "You never know what evils could be lurking around, and you have no sword."

"I remember King, don't worry. I'm being careful." He took a step, and suddenly, there was a strange noise, almost like slime oozing across the ground. He turned, stepping back a little in a hope to see where the noise was coming from, but he saw nothing. He took a couple more steps, as he turned a little, but once again, his eyes fell upon nothing.

Then, he heard it again, the sound of slime oozing across the ground. Then again, a moment after. Then a third time. He turned towards the Forest entrance, but his eyes fell upon nothing, but as he turned back to look straight ahead of him, three large, grass-green slime creatures rose up in front of him. "What the hell is that?"

"A Chuchu, be careful, Link, those things are very dangerous," King's voice spoke through the stone.

"It looks like its nothing but slime…"

"Yes, but it's still quite dangerous. It'll grab you and surround you in slime, then it'll cut off your airways by pushing itself deep into your throat, gagging you until you die."

"Well…that…would be bad then…" Suddenly, one of the Chuchus jumped forward and Link quickly jumped to the side, barely avoiding the creature. He quickly gripped the Deku Leaf tight and held it forward as magic began to talk in his mind once more. He rose the leaf above his head and pulled it back. As he did, the leaf seemed to grow in size until it was at least three feet long. His second hand gripped the stalk of the leaf and he brought his hands down, and as he did, a great wind blew forward from the leaf, pushing against the Chuchu which caused it to blew back and splat across the wall. "Did I kill it?"

Link only had a moment to ponder that thought before the other two Chuchus jumped at him. He quickly snapped out of his thought and jumped to the side, barely avoiding their attack. He once again swung the Deku Leaf, blowing the Chuchus up against another wall. "I got them…" He then noticed as the slime on the walls slowly oozed down to the ground, slowly forming together into a single pool of slime. "That…can't be good…"

The slime rose, now as a Chuchu twice the size as before. "Oh shit!" Link shouted and quickly turned, rushing up the hill and into the entrance that seemed to go deeper into the Forbidden Forest. He ran for a couple minutes as he found himself getting deeper and deeper inside. He wondered how such a small island had such a large inside, but that wasn't his main thought. His main thoughts were on escaping the Chuchu, and whether they were still following him.

After a moment more, he bent forward and began to pant as he turned back to look in the direction he had come from. He saw nothing making his way towards him, and the room he was in was silent. "Did I…lose it…?" he asked. Suddenly, there was a strange noise, almost like the hissing of a snake. As he turned, he was surprised when his eyes were not greeted by a snake, but instead by a large bug creature upon six legs. It looked similar to a rather large centipede, though it had only a single eye. "What the hell is that?" he shouted as he jumped back.

"Mothula Larva," King's voice spoke from the stone. "If that's around, then be careful, I'm certain there may be fully grown Mothula around as well."

"Wait…so this is a baby? And it's already this big?" Link spoke the truth. The larva was at least two feet long, and was already almost as tall as him in height.

"Well, that one is probably done growing. It'll probably be growing its wings soon."

"Growing its wings?"

"Yes, it's similar to a butterfly, only about twenty times bigger."

"I can tell that!" The larva had, surprisingly, not moved much at all during this time. It just seemed to stare, its head tilted a bit. "Anyway, are these larva things dangerous?"

"Mothula Larva? No, not really, but once they grow their claws and wings then they become dangerous."

"Claws?" Link asked.

"Yes, but they can't use them unless they are flying. They can't stand on any less then six legs."

"I see…so the Larva I don't have to worry about…"

"Not necessarily…"

"What do you-" Link's sentence was cut off when he noticed the Mothula Larva in front of him turned around. When it did, it raised its backside into the air.

"Move, quickly."

Link quickly jumped to the side as small black orb-like things shot out of the Larva's backside, aimed at where Link had been moments before. "What the hell?"

"Those are Mothula eggs. If they get on you, they'll stick. Once on you, they're so heavy that they'll weigh you down and keep you from moving. Then the Mothula or a Larva can come in and rip you apart with its claws."

"I thought you said it couldn't stand on less then six legs?"

"I did. It can charge at you when you're stuck on the ground and it will run you over, and its claws will dig into you and rip you apart."

"That's…also not good…" The Larva turned to look at Link once more, and its eye seemed to show it was angry. "Angry Mothula Larva…I guess I should…" Link turned and began to run. "Run!" he shouted to finish his sentence as the Larva turned once more. Link just barely made it out of range as the Larva shot more eggs at him. "Glad I'm out of there."

"Help!" a voice shouted and Link turned. It didn't sound like it had come from too far away. "Help!"

"Whose there?" Link called out.

"It's me, Makar!"

"Where are you?"

"I don't know…"

"That doesn't help…" Link muttered. "I'll be right there!" he shouted. "Just stay put!"

"Easy for you to-" Makar went silent for a split second before… "KYAH!"

"Makar!" Link shouted and bit his lip. "Shit…not good…I've got to find Makar…I just hope that wasn't a really bad scream…" At once Link rushed forward, running through the long, zigzag path in front of him. The further Link got, the more the vines around him seemed to move. "These vines…" he spoke as he ran some more. "It's almost like…something is controlling them…from ahead!" Link turned as he ran into a small entrance, and inside, he found himself in a rather large, circular room.

Link's eyes went wide as he noticed a rather large plant in the middle of the room that looked a lot like a large flower. Vines grew out from under it, moving into the walls nearby. Link recognized the vines as the same ones that were moving in the other passages. "Link!" Makar's voice shouted rather loudly.

"Makar! Where are you?" Link stepped forward and one of his feet stepped upon one of the pedals of the flower.

"The plant…be careful!" At once, one of the vines ripped from the wall and whirled around Link's legs. Link had no time to react as the vine pulled at his legs, pulling him up and into the air, dangling him above the ground.

"Ack! It's got me!" Link struggled to free himself from the plant, but its grip on his legs was too tight. The other vines were now slowly pulling from the wall and rising up. Link now managed to notice that each of the vines had a long, scythe-like end, and each was aimed at him. "Oh…shit…"

"Watch out!" Makar's voice could be heard shouting from nearby. The scythes grew higher, poising themselves for the strike. Link turned, and his eyes fell upon a boomerang stuck in some vines next to him. He quickly reached out and grabbed it, pulling with all his might at the scythes readied themselves to strike.

A moment later, they came down, aimed directly at Link. With a tough pull, and a loud grunt, the boomerang seemed to shine brightly and the edge became as sharp as a knife. With a quick move of his arm, Link freed the boomerang from the vines and sent the boomerang flying into the air, where it sliced the scythes right off the vines. It then returned to his hand, where the blade vanished as he grabbed it. "Wow…that was cool…"

There was a loud shriek from the plant as the pain of its vines being cut now struck the main plant. Link felt the vine around his leg lose its grip, and he found himself dropping to the ground a moment later. "Ow…" he groaned as he slowly pulled himself up.

The vines of the plant seemed to rise into the air once more, and the scythes seemed to slowly grow back on the edges of its vines. "Ah darn…" The scythes immediately shot forward and Link and he quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding them. He turned and aimed the boomerang forward and tossed it. The edges once again became sharp as a knife and it cut straight through the vines of the plant. The boomerang then returned to Link's hand, where he aimed at the main pod in the center.

"Take this!" Link shouted and tossed the boomerang forward. It cut right through the main pod of the plant, and as the leaves flew up, a small, head shaped bulb became clear. "Is that Makar?" Link asked, then noticed the boomerang seemed to shift in directions, as if by magic. It came straight down, digging its knife-sharp edges into the bulb. After a moment, the plant creature roared as if in extreme pain from the attack. The vines began to flail left and right, and the plant seemed to quickly rot away. The vines crumbled to dust, followed by the pedals, then soon the main pod crumbled away. "What…just happened…?"

Suddenly, the boomerang flew back at Link, where it seemed to slow, did a flip, then stopped in his hand. "This…isn't a normal boomerang…"

"I am the Fairy Boomerang," a female voice seemed to speak in Link's mind. "I am controlled by your thoughts, though that does have its limits. I will always return to your hand, no matter what I have to go through. If I am unable to return normally, my magic will teleport me to your awaiting hand. My edges will become sharp as knives when I leave your hand, and I can cut through some things that even a sword could not cut through."

"Amazing."

"Just think of me, and think of where you wish me to go, and I will fly there when you throw me. Keep whatever it is in sight, and while I can still spin, I shall reach my target."

"Do you mean that you will stop spinning after a time?"

"Yes, and at that time my magic will teleport me to your awaiting hand, where you may throw me once more."

"That's…kind of cool…" Link then turned. "Makar! Where are you?"

"Right here!" Makar shouted as he pushed a piece of rotted plant off of himself. "I'm right here." Makar was small, like any Korok. However, unlike most Korok's that appeared like logs, this one appeared almond shaped with a large leaf on its face. It had stubby little arms and legs, and it waddled as it ran forward to Link. "Thank you so much, sir."

"Your welcome, Makar."

"What's your name?"

"Link."

"Did the Great Deku Tree send you here after me?"

"Yes, and while he's not happy with you, I think he's willing to forgive you."

Makar smiled. "That's good. So, can you help me get out of here, then?"

"Certainly." Link picked Makar up and sat him on his head. The two then made their way back to the exit, where Link used the Wind Waker to change the wind and get them across the water and back to the Forest Haven. "We're back!" he shouted as they entered the Forest Haven and stood in front of the Great Deku Tree once more.

"Makar!" the Korok's shouted and rushed to see their friend, who Link set upon the ground.

"Good work in returning Makar, Link," the Great Deku Tree spoke.

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree."

"Makar!" the Tree spoke and Makar cringed. The Koroks quickly scattered away from him, and he stepped forward.

"Y-yes, Great Deku Tree?" Makar asked.

"I never want you to do that again. If Link hadn't been there to save you, you might have been killed."

"Y-yes, Great Deku Tree," Makar spoke and looked down.

There was silence for a moment. "However, you are fine now. Would you like to start the ceremony, Makar?" There was a sound of happiness in the Tree's voice, and Makar perked up as he looked up.

"Oh, yes sir!" Makar closed his eyes and pulled a small cello and a bow made of a stick seemingly from nowhere. He placed them together and smiled as he began to play upon the cello. Soon, the Koroks began to join in and sing as they began to dance happily around Link. It was then almost like the Great Deku Tree itself began to dance as its branches began to move and its massive trunk began to sway back and forth.

Upon the end of the ceremony, many small buds appeared upon the Deku Tree which then fell and opened into small seeds. The Koroks quickly collected the seeds up, then took to the skies with their Deku Leaves. Link stared in wonder at this sight and watched as they flew off. "The ceremony is to awaken the Great Deku Tree's seeds," Hollo spoke as he walked up to Link. "There are then of us Koroks. Eight go out with the seeds to watch them grow, while Makar and I stay behind. Makar prepares the music for the next ceremony, and me…I don't really do anything to be honest. I just stay here and keep the Great Deku Tree company."

"Amazing," Link spoke, then turned to the Great Deku Tree.

"Link," the Tree spoke. "As promised, I can now give unto you Farore's Pearl. Please, take it and may it help you on your journey to save your sister." A branch seemed to grow out of the Deku Tree, and on the end of the branch was a rather large flower. When the flower opened, Link was amazed to see a green pearl sitting inside. Upon it was a green wave that symbolized Courage.

Link told hold of the pearl, then placed it within the magic pouch Medli had given him. He then turned to the Deku Tree and bowed. "Thank you, Deku Tree," he spoke. "I'll return to this place someday."

"You are always welcome to, Link," the Deku Tree spoke. Link then turned to Hollo and Makar and bowed.

"Farewell for now."

"Farewell, Link. May we meet again," Hollo spoke.

"Good-bye, Link! Thanks for saving my life!" Makar spoke. With that, Link turned and left the Forest Haven, but as he looked to the sky, he noticed a terrible storm was brewing nearby. The storm was heading their way, and they would have to cross into the storm in order to make it to Greatfish Isle. Fear struck Link as the memory of his father's death returned to him. His father had died in the same quest, to ride through a storm to Greatfish Isle, and he was about to do the same.

"Aryll…I will return to you…I promise…" Link spoke as he stared at the storm. He felt determination flow through him, as he made his way back to King and the two set off. However, neither of them knew of the magical nature of the storm on its way, and they could do nothing but pray that they would make it through unscathed.


	10. From Greatfish Island to Outset Island

**Chapter 10: From Greatfish Island to Outset Island**

"I've been watching you…" Tetra spoke as she sat in her cabin on her pirate ship. "I've seen everything. Your journey to Dragon Roost Island in search of Din's Pearl, and your trip to the Forest Haven to find Farore's Pearl. Now you're off to Greatfish Isle. Well, we'll see what happens to you now."

"Miss Tetra!" a voice shouted and Tetra growled.

"What is it, Gonzo?" Tetra shouted.

"There's a Ruto…a Rato…uhh…a weird bird thing here to see you!"

"A Rito?"

"Yeah!"

Tetra sighed. "Coming…" She stood up from her bed and walked forward, opening her cabin door. Gonzo waited on the other side, staring at her as she stepped out. "Where is the Rito?"

"On the deck."

"Fine." Tetra turned and took the doorway out to the deck. There, her eyes fixated on the Rito who had come to her boat. "Yes?"

"Hello once more, Miss Pirate," the Rito spoke, and Tetra now realized who it was.

"Quill, what are you doing here?" Tetra asked.

"I've come to ask you something."

"And that would be?"

"I have a message for Link. It is from the Chieftain of the Rito Tribe. Would you happen to know where Link is at this time?"

"Perhaps…first, what is this message?"

"I cannot tell you that," Quill spoke.

Tetra shrugged. "Fine, if you don't tell us the message, then I won't tell you where Link is."

Quill found himself a little nervous now. He knew he had to find Link as quickly as possible, and he also knew that Tetra was his only hope of finding Link quickly. "All right…I'll tell you."

Tetra smirked. "Good."

* * *

"What's wrong, Link?" King asked as they sailed through the Great Sea. "You've had that look on your face since we left Forest Haven."

"I'm worried about this storm, King," Link spoke as he stared forward, a look of seriousness on his face.

"And what are you worried about?"

"My father…he was killed in a storm once…making almost the same trip we are."

"Really?"

"Father had to deliver something to Greatfish Isle. We lived on Outset Island at the time. He didn't make it back, and it's uncertain if he even made it there."

"How interesting, then you are hoping that the same does not happen to you."

"Exactly."

"Do not fear, Link, we shall be fine. We're already almost-" King's sentence was cut short when the waves suddenly turned fierce. King began to rock back and forth heavily on the waves, and the wind began to blow hard into Link's face.

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"It's a bad part of the storm!" Suddenly, a large wave rushed forward at them, pushing them up into the air, and sending them flying forward a ways before crashing back into the water. Link gripped the rudder hard, trying to keep their course steady as the waves crashed against King harder now.

"How the hell do we get through this?"

"By pushing harder and keeping our course steady," King spoke as waves crashed into his face.

"Damn it! This was just the way Dad died…and he had a much bigger boat. How do we get through this?"

"Don't worry, Link, we'll make it!" Another wave struck King hard on the side, nearly tipping them over. Another large wave then came from ahead, lifting them up once again and tossing them forward, causing them to crash upon the waves once again.

"How much farther is the island?"

"Look ahead! You can see it on the horizon!" Link looked forward, and his eyes caught sight of the island. The island looked to be several smaller islands, all jutting up into the air. The splits between each island looked unnatural, as if something had torn the island apart. Link's eyes then darted to the sky as he saw a flash of light, followed by the sound of thunder.

"Oh shit! Lightning!" Link shouted.

"We'll make it, don't worry!"

"Are you even sure that's Greatfish Isle?"

"Yes, I'm positive! That's the home of Jabun, the Diety of Water." Another large wave moved towards them and Link felt King slowly lifting into the air.

"We're about to fly again!" Link shouted, and the wave tossed them forward. They crashed hard upon the waters, only to have another large wave lift them once more. The wave tossed them once more, and a third wave caught them in mid-air, crashing hard against them, and causing King to flip backwards. "Damn it!" Link shouted as he fell back into the water, with King following close behind.

Link felt the current grip him and he felt himself moving towards the island. A few moments passed before he finally washed up on shore, and he coughed to breathe once more. He turned around just in time to see a large wave moving towards him, with King on the top of it. The wave crashed hard against the island, leaving King now stranded on land, with Link nearly knocked out by the waves.

"Ugh…damn it…that was one hell of a ride…" Link spoke as he pushed himself to stand up. King now lied next to him, lying on its side. "King, you all right?"

"I took some damage, but I think I'm still sailable," King replied.

"Good…well, we're here…now what?"

King turned his head and looked around a bit. "This place…something has happened to it…It's been torn apart…there's no way anything could survive here now…but nonetheless, we must search for Jabun…he must still be alive."

"Why do you assume that?"

"It's a hope…for if Jabun is not alive, then we're all in trouble."

"Link!" a voice shouted and Link turned quickly. He saw Quill flying towards him, and he smiled and waved.

"Quill!" Link shouted.

"Link, I'm so glad I found you." Quill landed upon the ground and pulled his arms down, folding his wings up.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a message from the Chieftain. He wanted you to know that Greatfish Isle is split…"

"Split?" Link asked and looked around. "I…think that's fairly obvious…"

"Cursed!" Quill quickly corrected. "I meant cursed…"

"The island itself is cursed?"

"Yes. Jabun came to us shortly after you left, telling us that his island was cursed with a terrible storm, and that it was literally torn apart by the storm. He has now traveled off to Outset Island where he is hoping to stay hidden."

"Outset Island? Why there?"

"He said…'It was once the home of the Hero, and maybe it will be again.' I am not sure what he meant by that."

"Then we need to get to Outset Island."

"And exactly how do you propose we get off this island?" King asked. "I may be sailable, but that storm will push us back onto this island real fast. There's no escaping it."

"Storms are wind, right? What if I just controlled the way the wind was blowing?"

"Even the Wind Waker cannot control a storm like this."

"There has to be a way, though. I mean…Jabun made it off the island."

"Jabun is a whale…he simply went underwater where the waves won't bother him."

"Damn it…there has to be some way off this island…We can't just stay here, we have to push off and get to Outset Island."

"Another thing…" Quill spoke up and Link turned back to him. "Jabun said he would seal himself away. Reaching him will be no easy task. On top of that, your pirate friends are also working to reach Jabun."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but to get them to tell me where you were, I had to tell them everything. They said that they would make their way to Outset Island to also try to get the pearl. They seemed certain that they could make it through any of Jabun's defenses."

"Damn it…this is really bad then…we've got to move. We've got to get to Outset before Tetra does…" It was then that a thought crossed Link's mind. "Wait…how would Tetra know where I am? I haven't seen her since the Forsaken Fortress…Unless…" He looked down and took hold of the stone around his neck. "She can see through this…I forgot all about that! She can see, hear, and talk to me through this!"

"So then, what do we do now?" King asked.

"We push through the storm," Link spoke. "We might die…but hopefully not. Now is not a time to be cucco. If we are, we'll never get off this island. Quill, can you help me get King off the island?"

"Certainly," Quill spoke with a nod.

"Then we'll break through that storm, or we'll die trying…" Link and Quill then went to work, pushing King down to the shore and into the water, where Link quickly waved the Wind Waker forward in an attempt to make the wind travel in the direction of Outset. "Here we go!" He pulled the sail up, and the wind caught upon the sail, making them move forward and through the storm. The seas rocked them back and forth, and the waves threatened to toss them into the waves many times, but Link's courage held strong, and soon he and King had fought their way through the storm.

The two then set sail to the south and towards Outset Island. They had hoped to reach the island before Tetra and her gang of pirates did. As they sailed, King seemed to grow more worried about things around him. It took them only a few hours to return to Outset, but King still had a worried look as they grew closer to it. "Link, listen to me for a moment," King spoke suddenly and Link looked at him.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"It's about this storm, and our current situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Link, look at the sky."

Link did as he was told and looked up. "It's dark...I see stars, the moon, there's no clouds…"

"Exactly."

"Hmm?" Link asked questioningly. He didn't understand.

"It's night. The sail from the Forest Haven to Greatfish Isle should have taken us several hours, but the sky hasn't changed. The moon is even still in the same place as it was when we arrived at the Forest Haven."

"You're right!" Link spoke as he looked back up. The moon was about forty-five degrees into the sky, which meant only about a quarter of the night had gone by. "The moon should be going down in the west about now. It should be on the horizon, but it's still high in the sky. It hasn't even hit the midnight point yet."

"Exactly, I think the curse on Greatfish that caused that storm did much more then just cause a storm."

"A spell of Eternal Night?"

"Exactly. I think it's Ganondorf's evil doing."

"You're probably right, we need to find Jabun, then."

"Jabun said he had come here to seek refuge. Is there any place in the water that a whale could go for refuge?"

Link thought for a moment. "There is a big cave on the back side of the island…"

"Then we'll check there."

Link pulled the rudder and they slowly made a turn around the island. At first, Link saw nothing, but then something caught his eye. It looked like the back of a boat, a rather large one at that. It seemed to be turning and moving forward. King sailed forward further, and their eyes took in more of the ship as it came into view. It was a moment later before Link's eyes registered what it was.

"It's Tetra's boat!" Link shouted. "They're already here!" Their eyes then quickly dropped down from the boat as they noticed the boat was still turning, but not by will. Underneath of it lied a large whirlpool, and the boat had been caught into it and was slowly being swirled into the center in a hope to sink it. Link's eyes darted back up, noticing Gonzo at the helm, pulling hard on the wheel, trying to turn away from the whirlpool, but having no luck.

"They're stuck."

"We have to save them!"

"What about Jabun?"

Link turned, noticing a large stone wall against the island. "He must be behind that wall."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because that wall wasn't there before. King, what I'm about to ask you is going to be very dangerous, but you have to trust me."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm getting onto Tetra's boat, but I'll need you to get right up next to it."

"What? But we'll be pulled into that whirlpool!" King shouted.

"And if I'm right…the whirlpool will go away once that wall is destroyed," Link spoke as his eyes glanced at Tetra's boat.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Link pulled out his grappling hook. "Tetra's cannons. They'll surely be able to take out that wall."

"If you're certain…"

"I'm not…but it's our only hope."

King nodded and Link grabbed the rudder. He turned it slightly and King began to sail towards the ship. He turned them just right as to pull up directly on their right side. Link then tossed the grappling hook up, managing to hook onto the edge of the boat. He quickly pulled to make sure it was secure then began to climb. "Be careful!" King shouted.

"I'll be as careful as possible!" Link responded back.

* * *

"Outset Island…never thought I'd be back here…" Tetra spoke as she folded her arms across her chest.

"But we are," Gonzo spoke. "What are the plans?"

"We find Jabun and take the pearl. That kid, Link, needs it, and we can probably manage to sell it to him for a good price."

"So…we're not helping him out?" Niko asked.

Tetra laughed. "We are, but we're also pirates, so it'll cost him."

"That makes sense."

"Now, get to work, circle the island and let's see if we can't spot something that could look like a place for a whale to hide in."

"What if it's underwater?" Gonzo asked.

"We'll find that out after we've circled it once," Tetra responded. "Now, move!" At once the pirates began to circle the boat around the island. As the pirates examined their surroundings, Tetra closed her eyes. "Where are you now, Link?" she asked as a vision came to her mind. Link was sailing across the Great Sea, a look of determination was on his face. She could see Outset Island not far off the horizon. "So, you're close, huh? We'll just be sure to get that pearl first."

Suddenly, the boat rocked and Tetra was thrown to the deck. "Gonzo! Status report!" she shouted.

"We've been caught in a whirlpool, Tetra!" Gonzo reported.

"Get us out of it then!"

"I can't, the boat isn't turning!"

"Try harder! Pull the rudder as hard to starboard as you can! We have to get out of this whirlpool!"

"I'm trying, Tetra!" Gonzo shouted as he pulled hard on the wheel. The wheel was pulled as hard to the right as it would go, but the ship continued to swirl downward to the left and towards the center of the whirlpool.

"This is not good!" Tetra shouted when the sound of a grappling hook gripping the side of the boat was heard. She turned around, hearing a voice shouting, but she couldn't make out what. "Stand ready! We seem to have someone trying to board us!"

"It's Link, Tetra!" Niko shouted as he looked over the edge. He waved at Link, then turned to Tetra, who had managed to get right up in his face.

"Is it now?" Tetra looked over the edge, then gripped the grappling hook firmly. "Ahoy there, Link!" she spoke with a grin.

"Tetra! I need your boat!" Link shouted up as he continued to climb. "I know how to get us out of this whirlpool!"

"Do you know?" Tetra pulled on the grappling hook. With her aid, Link made it up the ship and onto the deck. "Now tell me, what is this plan of yours?"

"The cannons," Link spoke. "Fire the cannons at that wall." He pointed to the wall on the edge of the island. "Fire all of them! You've got them on all sides, aim them and fire as each one makes a pass on the wall."

"And that will get us out of here?"

"When Jabun sees his wall has been breached, he should stop the whirlpool."

"What makes you think he won't just make it go faster? Or that he's even in control of it?"

"It's a trial…if someone can get through it, then chances are, he'll find them worthy of Nayru's Pearl."

Tetra sighed and folded her arms. "You heard the kid," she spoke as she turned to the pirates. "I want all the cannons aimed and firing at that wall! Destroy it and we'll see if Link is right."

"Right away, Tetra!" the pirates spoke quickly and rushed off.

"Gonzo, you too!" Tetra spoke.

"But I'm the one holding the boat at least somewhat steady!" Gonzo retorted.

"It's Link's plan, so I'll let him hold the boat." Tetra grinned and Link gulped. He rushed up to Gonzo and grabbed hold of the wheel.

"You better hold that real good, kid," Gonzo spoke then rushed off, leaving Link to hold the wheel.

As the boat continued to slowly swirl around the whirlpool, the cannons were readied. As the wall came into line with each of the cannons, they were fired. Some of the shots missed while others hit the wall securely. As the cannonballs hit the wall, the wall seemed to crack and crumble more. Finally, a last shot struck the wall and caused it to crumble down. As Link had foretold, the whirlpool began to die down and soon the boat stopped swirling in circles.

Link gave a sigh of relief and let go of the wheel. "You did good, kid," Tetra spoke. "You're pretty smart actually, not to mention courageous. I don't think that took much thought to be honest, just guts. Not many I know are willing to try and commandeer a pirate vessel just to blast open a wall."

"Well, it was either that or let you sink to the bottom of the sea," Link spoke.

"So, you didn't do it just for yourself?"

"I wanted to save all of you as well. You may be pirates, but your also friends."

"Really?" Tetra smiled and grew close to Link. Her lips moved close to touch Link's when suddenly-

"Link!" King shouted. "Hurry it up!"

Tetra smirked and pushed Link over. "Better do as your boat says. You've got a pearl to get."

"Right!" Link spoke firmly. He seemed to show no signs of having even the slightest clue what Tetra had tried to do. He stood firmly to his feet when a large hand slapped him across the back, knocking him forward. As he fell, he pushed against Tetra and knocked her over as well. Somewhere in the mix of falling, their lips connected.

"What the hell?!" Tetra shouted as she pushed Link off of her, both of them now a bright red. "What was that?"

"Gonzo pushed me!" Link shouted. He was right, it had been Gonzo that had shoved him forward.

"Gonzo!" Tetra shouted and stood to her feet, growling.

"I simply slapped Link across the back to congratulate him!" Gonzo retorted. "How was I to know he'd be so weak in the back?"

Tetra growled and slowly stormed up to Gonzo. He stared for a moment as she looked up at him. A moment later Gonzo found himself knocked back by a fist directly to his chin. "I'd kill you if I didn't need you for crew!" she shouted at him.

Link sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his neck at the sight. "So, your pirates are your family, then, huh?" he asked suddenly and Tetra turned away from pummeling Gonzo.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Link chuckled. "Only family can be as close as you all are." He spoke, then walked to the edge of the ship. "Anyway, I better go get that pearl. I'll leave you and your family-"

Link found himself flying off the boat and splashing into the water. Tetra growled as she held her fist out after having just punched Link square in the face. "Don't say such things with a straight face, kid…" she spoke and turned away. Was he right, though? Were her pirates like family to her? She couldn't even remember her own family. Well, except her mother. Mother… Tetra pulled out a small necklace from around her neck. What ever happened to her?


	11. The Pearls of the Gods

**Chapter 11: The Pearls of the Gods**

"Jabun!" Link shouted as King slowly sailed into the cavern that was now open in the side of the island. The cavern was at least fifty or sixty feet high, if not more, and at least the same size around. However, that's all it was, a single, fairly circular room and nothing more.

"Jabun, mii ye ya," King spoke. "Ani chien ani zeu disukabane ali Shinlu Hei ke Farore!"

"Shinlu Hei ke Farore?" a deep voice asked and the cavern began to shake. The water rose up high and once it subsided, a large whale was left there, though the lantern-like object on his head made him look more like an angler fish then anything else.

"Alu, ani chien alin Shinlu Hei ke Farore ijala ka jo chaihen."

"Haru itsuyzu tain oyan biken ae jhaan?"

"Jo chaihen jyun langene nah ke ali Jasrazu ije ai."

"Langene nah ke alli Jasrazu ije ai? Zei chen femen jyun dea lange ali lanome Jaszra, zei?"

"Alu."

"Ani alu."

"Bude fausana gane bae ikroma benvu. Chen jyun hilenne."

"Chen jyun hilenne? Hege jyun hilenne?"

"Ganon."

Jabun's eyes went wide at that word. He remained silent for a moment as he thought deeply. "Zei ein ihre hyanma. Jo chaihen…haru ye chell jea?"

"Link," King spoke, which perked Link's ears up.

"What about me?" Link asked.

"Not now, Link, I will explain later."

Link huffed up a bit and slouched onto the side of the boat as he stared at Jabun. Jabun was quite a sight, but he was ever so annoyed by how everyone important to his task seemed to speak in this ancient language, and yet, he had no understanding of it at all.

"Link, tain oyan?" Jabun asked. "Likahnga. Iste tain ziru buke jo Link ye ke ali hahrei valaenil bavu ali Mekkou Link?"

There was his name again, three times, and in a question no doubt! What the hell could they possibly be talking about that I don't need to know as well? Link thought.

"Na, jo Link ye maff tuo ke ali hahrei valaenil bavu ali Mekkou Link," King responded in the ancient language. "Bude ani chien chen ijala zah quah ali bavu mahchi bavu ali Mekkou Link."

Mekkou Link…those two words always seemed to be said together. His name with a word before it. What could that possibly mean? Was Mekkou Link the name of someone else? If so, then who else?

"Zei tain hise ya dea quinjei ali inari ke Hyrule dea jo chaihen beinel bolai dufe bae chen soia ka ista dea ehinu ali pallu?" Jabun asked.

"Ani iste!" King seemed to shout out. Jabun seemed to stare at him for a moment, quietly contemplating his next few words.

"Ani alu. Zei mii hoss ka meru kefu dea ali Jeilzu dea fala buke chell mahchi ye fausana. Zei ani ihuen tain ali hagei dea ali Jeilzu!" Jabun shook his body and a blue pearl jumped out of Jabun's lantern and Link quickly grabbed it. "Nayruzu Xami, mii fatei injin ali jin bae Ganon jyun imesh soksha ali pallu."

"So...that foul rain and endless night were indeed elements of a curse brought on us by Ganon!" King spoke now in the normal tongue that Link could understand. His words shocked him. "He must intend want to cast this land into pure darkness for all time..."

Was this finally the end? Link hoped so. King had switched back to their normal language, so it was possible that this meant their conversation was coming to a close. He could only hope so at least. He was tired of a boat and a whale carrying on a conversation that included his name without him knowing what they said.

"Helna ya, Hyrule Benkou," Jabun suddenly spoke up. "Zeu tain plenne ali dukkuganezu ke ali hei hege liffazu re ali valaenil ke ali Himare, Zelda?"

"Ani chien ani zeu," King responded once again in the ancient language.

"Dear gods…please let this end soon…" Link whimpered.

"Is something wrong, Link?"

"You two, talking in a language I don't know, about things I don't understand! Could you please speak in a more modern language? One I understand?"

"Jabun only knows the ancient language, I apologize, Link. We will be done speaking soon." Link grumbled at those words and slouched. "Ani de eimili."

"Mii ye oi," Jabun spoke. "Ani zoirun ali chaihenzu mukel."

"Tain ubou zoirun chen?" King asked.

Jabun shook its body as if saying no. "Bude ani zoirun chell ukene. Ani hoss quinjei tain senna jo. Tain lerol eshal ali Himare Zelda sosta neu mern jiise kakehga ihen Ganonzu dienzu."

"Ke guare, Jabun."

"Zeinne, Hyrule Benkou! Nahiku Himare Zelda qell."

"Soia." With King's final word, Jabun dived back down into the water. "Let's go, Link." Link pulled the rudder and King slowly sailed his way out of the island.

"Took you long enough," Tetra spoke from onboard her ship. She made a leap and landed into King.

"King and Jabun had to talk…" Link spoke.

"About?"

Link shrugged. "Ask him. It was all in some ancient language. So far, everyone who has had a pearl has spoken it."

"It was an old language passed down from an ancient kingdom that existed over a thousand years ago," King spoke. "It vanished overnight without a trace."

"Wait…this language is from the ancient kingdom? The one spoken of in the Legend of the Ocarina of Time?" Link asked.

"The very one. Tetra, I will need you and Link to make a journey with me, but only you two."

Tetra folded her arms. "Me, make a journey with Link and a talking boat?" Tetra asked. "No way, not going to happen."

* * *

"How did I get stuck in this mess?" Tetra asked as she sighed. She was currently sitting inside King with Link only a short distance from her, still manning the rudder. They had traveled now for many hours, and at one point the two had docked on a fairly unknown island and rested the night away. It was now morning, and they were sitting in the middle of nowhere. "Tell me again, oh great King, what are we out here, in the middle of the ocean for?"

"Look around you, Tetra," King spoke. "You see the three island around us?"

"The ones that look kind of like triangles? Yeah, I see them." Tetra pulled out a map. "We seem to be right in the center of them according to my sea chart. Why?"

"We must travel to each of them. Link."

"Which one first, King?" Link responded.

"The one to the northwest. There you must place Din's Pearl. From there, we must travel to the southwest where you will place Nayru's Pearl. Finally followed up by the one to the east where you will place Farore's Pearl."

"Then that's where we'll go." Link pulled on the rudder and pulled up the sail once more. With a quick wave of the Wind Waker, the wind began to blow towards the northwest and the sail caught in the wind. With that, they were off to the northwest, where they finally stopped at a large island in the shape of a triangle. "Wait here, Tetra."

"I see no reason to get off, so I will," Tetra spoke, folding her arms. She then turned to King. "Exactly why was I needed on this mission, boat?"

"My name is the King of Red Lions, and that will be revealed shortly, oh Queen of the Pirates."

Tetra turned back to look at Link as he climbed his way up a slope on the island. There, in the center, he found an odd looking statue. It had a large round head and a fairly fat looking body. Its arms were outstretched, formed in such a way to hold an orb of a certain size. Link pulled Din's Pearl out of his pouch first, setting it onto the statue. Its eyes began to glow for a moment, then after a moment, the glow diminished. "Odd…" Link stepped away from the statue, then made his way back to King.

"The first is in place, now we must go to the island in the south," King spoke and Link nodded. He waved the Wind Waker once more making the wind blow to the south.

"Does that wand make the wind everywhere blow in the direction you wave?" Tetra asked.

"No, just in a certain area," King responded. "As we move, the Wind Waker uses its magic to make the wind blow in the direction we need it to. Thus, it has a constant control over the wind around us for a mile radius."

"Interesting." Link pulled up the sail once more and turned the rudder so they turned towards the wind. The sail caught and they sailed to the south, where they found a second island also shaped like a triangle. Once again, Link got off and Tetra watched as he climbed up to a second statue. This one looked exactly the same as the first. He pulled Nayru's Pearl from the pouch and set it upon the statue. Its eyes first glowed red, then began to glow a blue color. Finally, the glow vanished once more.

"Onto the last one, I suppose," Link spoke as he turned and made his way back down towards King. He hopped on and waved the Wind Waker to blow the wind to the northeast. He then pulled the sail and they were off once more.

"This is the last island, Link," Tetra spoke as they slowed to a stop next to the final triangle shaped island.

"When you place Farore's Pearl upon the statue, be prepared," King spoke. "I know not what will happen beyond a point."

"Beyond a point?" Link asked and King nodded.

"I will explain once you have placed the pearl."

Link got up from the boat and stepped off onto the island. He made his way up to the statue in the center of the island that looked oh so similar to the other two. Link pulled out Farore's Pearl, and at once the pearl began to glow brightly. The eyes of the statue seemed to glow a bright green color, and it seemed as if the two were only waiting to connect to unleash some great power.

Carefully, Link reached forward, setting the pearl upon the statue. At once he jumped back, expecting a release of power, but nothing happened. He noticed the glow of the pearl and the statue's eyes seemed to vanish before a red glow took over. The glow then shifted to blue, then back to green before finally vanishing.

Link stared intently, as if expecting something great to happen, but nothing did. "King…you sure we did this right?" he asked as he stepped closer to the statue. "It hasn't done anything…"

Suddenly, the statue's eyes began to glow a bright green and Link ducked down quickly. The statue shook hard and it began to crumble away. Suddenly, the statue exploded outward, revealing the statue of a beautiful girl underneath of it. The statue was of a girl dressed in a green, strapless dress. Her hair was fairly short, coming down only to the back of her neck. Two flowers rested in her hair, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of emerald. The statue stretched its arms out, raising the pearl high above it as if it was a living creature.

"Now…what…" Link spoke as he stared at the statue. Suddenly, he felt as if he was floating. The land around him began dark for a moment, then he looked down, seeing the other two statues. They exploded as the one he had stood next to had done, also revealing the forms of two statues modeled after beautiful women.

One wore a red, strapless dress and had long red hair that flowed down to near the end of her back. Two red, angel-like wings were set in her hair. They helped to bring out the bright red of her eyes, as well as accentuate her red hair. The other wore a blue strapless dress and had blue hair about as long as the red statue. She had amazing blue eyes, and in her hair seemed to be two bat-like wings. The third statue then appeared behind Link and they all rose the pearls above their heads.

A red beam of light then shot from the red pearl and into the blue pearl, which then shot a blue beam of light into the green pearl. Finally, the green pearl shot a green beam of light into the red pearl, and the three beams formed a massive triangle. It was then as if the statues separated, extending out to the same length they really were apart. Link now found himself floating over them, and in the center of the triangle formed three golden triangles, all coming together to form a single triangle.

The golden triangles glowed brightly, then shot downward, swirling and vanishing from sight. Link then felt himself drop, and the world seemed to return to him. He suddenly found himself standing upon King with Tetra at his side. What happened next dumbfounded him completely.

The Great Sea seemed to bow upward as something pushed against the surface of the water. Waves soon shot out from around it and soon a large piece of stone pushed through the surface of the water. The stone rose higher and higher soon showing it was a massive statue at least thirty stories high. Then a ring struck the surface and pushed out, forming a small circular ring of archways around the tower. Finally, the tower stopped rising and Link and Tetra were both left standing their, their mouths hung open in surprise.

"Welcome Link and Tetra, to the Tower of the Gods," King spoke. "In here, Link's courage shall be tested. There is only one man who could ever pass the Trial of the Gods and make his way through the Tower of the Gods."

"And who would that be?" Tetra asked as she looked down at King.

"The only one who could ever hope to pass the Trial of the Gods. The only one who could ever make it to the top and claim that which rightfully belongs to them. That man is the Hero of Time."


	12. The Tower of the Gods

**Chapter 12: The Tower of the Gods**

"The Hero of Time? Are you crazy?!" Tetra shouted rather loudly, making King pull his head back. "No, there's no possible way! You think this…kid…is the Hero of Time?"

"Perhaps, but perhaps not, that is for the Gods to decide," King spoke.

"And what if he isn't, huh? Will we have come all this way for nothing? What about Link, what will happen to him?"

King looked away. "He who fails the test…" he began, then paused for a moment. "…Will die," he finished after a time.

"Die?!" Tetra shouted. "So you're going to send this kid in to die?"

"If Link is the Hero of Time then he will prevail!" King shouted rather suddenly, which caused Tetra to jump back some.

Link had been listening, but his eyes had been fixated on the tower before him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He then slowly exhaled, then opened his eyes once more. "I'm not afraid."

"Are you certain?" King asked.

"Definitely. I will conquer this tower or die trying."

"Are you both nuts?!" Tetra shouted and smacked Link over the head. "You go in there and you'll be killed! What will your Grandma think if she hears that? Don't you have a sister to save anyway?"

"I am saving her!" Link shouted rather suddenly, this threw Tetra back as well. He balled up his fists and closed his eyes. "I am saving her…I need the Master Sword to defeat Ganon and that bird…without it, I can't do anything. If I don't beat them, my sister will never be saved. The only way to get the Master Sword, though, is to conquer this tower."

"Then you'll do it for your sister?" Tetra asked. "You'll hold her in your heart, hoping she will aid you?"

Link nodded. "My family is my strength."

"Peh…" Tetra folded her arms and turned away. "Family…family's just a waste of time…" She reached into her shirt and pulled her necklace out once more. King's eyes went wide at the sight of the necklace, but he did not speak. After a moment, Tetra returned the necklace to under her shirt then turned back to Link. "Fine, you can go in there if you want. Take your little test and see if you're some great hero of times passed, but leave me out of it."

"Don't worry, you will have a different role to play in this," King spoke. "Your role will not be here, though."

"Then why did you drag me here?"

"For reasons I cannot explain of this time. You are important to saving this land from the evils of Ganon, but how important…that has yet to be seen."

"Well, guess you better get going." Tetra shoved Link over the side of the boat.

"Wah!" Link shouted as he fell, splashing into the water only a few inches below him. "Why did you do that for?"

"You've got a Tower to conquer, and I didn't see you moving to conquer it."

Link growled. "I'll conquer it, just you watch!" Link turned to look back at the tower then began to swim forward.

"Peh…he'll come crawling back…just you wait and see…He's no Hero of Time…" Or…is he? Green clothes, courage beyond any I've ever seen…What if he really is the Hero of Time reborn? But why would he come back after all these years? Why didn't he come back when the ancient kingdom needed him most?

Link continued to swim forward until he had swam inside of the tower. There he found the land went up and into dry ground. He quickly climbed out of the water then looked around. "I'm here!" he called out. "I'm here to take the Trial of the Gods!"

"Chen kianzu dea alede ali Jasra ke ali Jeilzu," a firey, female voice spoke in a whisper.

"Ije mii penalizu," a fluid, female voice spoke in a whisper.

"Reinelzu, ani iste maff chien chen zoirunzu ali Gau Urerinaku," a more earthen, yet still female voice spoke.

"So ein qui hengu," the firey voice spoke. "Chaihen, iste tain zoirun ali Gau Urerinaku?"

"Uh…huh?" Link asked, his face going pale. He had been asked a question, but he knew not the language.

"Tain rebei dea ka hemlai, Reinel," the fluid voice spoke.

"You have no understanding of the Old Language?" the earthen voice asked.

"Err…no…sorry…I don't…"

"We understand," the fluid voice spoke.

"We are the Goddesses of Hyrule," the three began in unison. "We are Din, Nayru, and Farore, Creators of Hyrule and all the world."

"Hyrule?" Link asked.

"You do not know of Hyrule?" the firey voice asked.

"No…should I?"

The voices were silent for a moment before the fluid voice spoke up. "It is not important at this time. Why have you entered this sacred place, the Tower of the Gods?"

"To take the Trial of the Gods. I seek to claim the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword?" the three voices asked in unison. "Then could he be the one? Has the plan finally succeeded?"

"Boy, of this we must ask you," the earthen voice spoke. "What is your name and of where do you hail from?"

"My name is Link, and I come from Outset Island."

"The Hero's Island," the fluid voice spoke.

"And the Hero's name," the firey voice spoke.

"Then of this we challenge thee, brave Link," the voices spoke in unison. "In this tower your power, wisdom, and courage shall be tested. Have courage enough, and you shall find the way to the Master Sword. However, only one who holds no hatred and no desire for revenge in his heart may touch the sacred blade, for it is a blade that no evil may touch. A trial you must pass here, but a final trial you must pass when you touch the blade as well."

"I understand," Link spoke.

"Then let your power, wisdom, and courage be tested in this, the Trial of the Gods," the voices spoke in unison once more, then faded away. Link looked around and torches lit all around him, finally lighting the tower.

Link's eyes went wide and he fell back upon the floor in shock. The room he now stood in was massive in size. Directly in front of him lied a large golden face upon a wall. From its mouth, water spewed forth into a moat that circled the room. Two other faces lied on either side of it as well, though their mouths lied closed. To the left of him was a single door, but in front of the door lied a strange square symbol. To his right was another door, though this one held no symbol.

Link turned to his left and entered the door with the symbol in front of it. Inside he found a large statue standing in wait for him. It stood atop a pedestal, and upon the pedestal were strange markings. As Link grew close to the markings he began to notice what they were. They were symbols showing the Wind Waker, and a set of waves much like he had seen at Dragon Roost Island.

Immediately, Link drew his Wind Waker and began to wave it in the same pattern. When he finished, the statue's eyes began to glow, and a deep voice spoke forth. "This is the Command Melody. Unto you I give it. Using the Wind Waker, you will use this melody and my mind will link to yours. Whatever you wish of me I will do. Close your eyes and see through my eyes. I am your servant from now until you release me."

Link did as the voice spoke, and when his eyes were closed, his vision seemed to shift. He found himself looking through the eyes of the statue. He rose a foot, but instead of raising his foot, the foot of the statue rose. Link then took a step forward, only to find the pedestal was only as large as the statue, causing the statue to fall to the ground. Link pushed as if to push himself up, finding the statue did just as he did, and it pulled itself up off the ground.

To the door, Link thought. He walked forward, towards the door, finding that his one feet did not move, but when he moved his feet in this vision, his feet controlled the statue's feet, causing it to walk forward, stopping at the doorway. When his eyes opened, he noticed the statue seemed to pull itself together, returning to the position it had been in on the pedestal. "So, I control it like that, do I?" he asked himself, then ran to the statue. He quickly opened the door and waved the Wind Waker once more, closing his eyes.

The statue pulled itself up and he walked it forward until it reached the square symbol upon the floor. When the statue touched it, Link felt himself thrust back, and his control was lost. The statue that shifted into a new position and covered the symbol upon the floor. When it did, a second symbol, this time a circle, appeared in front of the door that now lied in front of him. As well, the left face's mouth had opened and now water was pouring from it as well. He also noticed the water coming from the middle face seemed to have lessened now.

"So, these symbols control those faces. I'll bet there's something behind that middle face, and if I put a statue on each symbol I'll be able to get through." Quickly, Link rushed forward into the second room, finding himself staring up at the statue above him. It lied at the top of a set of stairs, but there was only one problem. In this room, Link heard the sound of electricity passing around the room. He was not alone.

Soon Link found himself surrounded by a circle of strange yellow blobs. Electricity seemed to spark from the gel that was their body, and each seemed to stare at Link. "What the hell are these?"

"You don't know about Chuchu?" Tetra's voice asked over the stone Link wore. "They're a gel-like creature. You won't be able to kill them with anything you have, even if you had a sword. On top of that, these things are Yellow Chuchu, so they're electric. Touch them, and you'll get quite a zap."

"Then what do I do?"

"I don't know, you're the one taking the Trial."

Link growled a little then closed his eyes. He thought for a moment as the chuchu seemed to slowly grow closer to him. He reached down and into his pouch, pulling out his Fairy Boomerang. He then opened his eyes and tossed the boomerang forward. It spun and chopped right through one of the chuchu, cutting it in half. It then circled around under Link's command and chopped through the others before returning to his hand. The Chuchus, however, seemed mostly unaffected. It had cut them in half, but this seemed to have only caused Link to have twice as many to fight as before.

"Aww damn…" Link spoke as he stared at the chuchu around him. "Now what?" Link shouted, then noticed something. With a little luck, the jellies may have been just short enough for him to jump over. With a quick thrust with his feet he launched himself into the air and over the jellies and onto the ground behind them. At once, the jellies pulled themselves together, forming one massive chuchu. "Oh…shit…" Link spoke as he stared at the creature now before him.

Link quickly pulled his Fairy Boomerang out once more, preparing himself to fight if need be. He quickly stepped back, making his way up the steps while keeping a close eye on his enemy. It was there, at the top, when he noticed something about this statue, it looked similar to a wizrobe, a sort of mage creature.

Quickly, Link pocketed his boomerang and waved the Wind Waker once more. When he did, he closed his eyes and the statue rose to life. Through the eyes of the statue, he now could see what he had hoped for was true. He rose the statue's hand up and a ball of flames appeared in its hand. It then tossed the ball down, striking the chuchu before him, causing it to roar. Hearing such a thing come from a mass of jelly was strange, but Link paid little attention to it.

With another blast of fire, the chuchus were pushed back and slid down the stairs. Finally, Link struck them with a blast of ice, freezing them in place. He then walked the statue down the stairs and out of the door, where he set it upon the circular symbol. When he did, the third face opened its mouth, and the middle face closed its. This caused water to rush through two of the faces but left the middle open, revealing a stairway upward.

Quickly, before the chuchus could melt into jelly once more, he rushed his way up the stairs. "You have passed the Trial of Wisdom," the fluid voice spoke.

"But can you pass the Trial of Courage?" the earthen voice asked.

At once, the torches around Link lit once more and his eyes went wide. Before him lied a massive pit. There appeared no way across, and Link gulped as he looked down into it, seeing eternal blackness. "I didn't climb that far up…did I?" he asked.

"Only one way to know," Tetra's voice spoke over the stone once more. "Fall and you'll know, but you'll probably also die."

"That's not much help!" Link spoke up, then looked forward. He looked up to the ceiling where he noticed several small chandelier-like things hanging from the ceiling. "Only one way across…" he spoke. He pulled out his grappling hook and tossed it up to one of the chandeliers and it wrapped around one. He tugged, noticing the chandelier-like object wasn't attached to a chain, but was instead attached to a metal pole that did not move. He gulped once more and stepped to the edge where he jumped forward, gripping the rope hard. He flew forward a ways, then rocked back. He soon found himself just dangling there and he bit his lip as he pulled himself up to the chandelier-like object.

Unhooking the grappling hook, Link then tossed it across the room and onto another object. He pulled once more, then breathed a heavy sigh. "I can do this…courage…" He pushed off and flew through the air once more. The fall gave him enough momentum to rise up towards a third chandelier, which he reached out for, barely grabbing with his hand. He bit his lip again as he stared down at the eternal blackness below him. Once slip, and he was a goner.

Link pulled himself up onto the third chandelier, then gripped it tight as he looked around. "There has to be an end to this somewhere…the tower wasn't that wide…" It was then that he saw it, ground, just a single swing away. However, there was nothing to grab onto, so he would have to hook his grappling hook to where he was and swing across.

With great difficulty, Link hooked the grappling hook to the chandelier, then let himself drop down until the rope snagged, stopping his fall. He then turned towards the ground and began to swing himself back and forth. His momentum steadily increased and with each swing he grew closer and closer to the ground. However, it soon became apparent that he had only one choice, that was to let go of the rope at the exact moment and hope he would catch the ground.

"Courage…" Link spoke as he continued to swing. "I can do this…I can do this…I can do this!" he shouted. As he swung forward the final time, at the peak of his arc, he let go of the rope. He reached his hand forward, hoping he was right. As he began his descent, Link noticed the ground was further then he had thought, and at first he began to panic.

However, something shined forth in Link's heart, something his Grandma had once said. "With the right amount of courage, you can do anything," was what she had said. He pulled himself together quickly and stretched his hand out as far as he could. Just barely, his fingers gripped the edge of the land. His second hand soon rose to grab the edge and he pulled to try and pull himself up. His feet soon found a foothold and he set them there, pushing up and soon pushing himself out of the hole and onto the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" Link shouted and fell onto his back. "That was scary shit!"

"You have passed the Trial of Courage," the earthen voice spoke.

"Now all that remains is the Trial of Power," the firey voice spoke. "Ascend the stairway and prepare yourself. Your greatest trial awaits."

Link let himself catch his breath while waiting for the adrenaline rush in his system to die down. His body was shaking, showing he had been afraid. However, to that, he remembered another statement of his Grandma's. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to push through that fear and do what you must."

Link pulled himself up and took a final deep breath. He then turned to the staircase before him and began the ascent up to the final stage of the tower. "I'm here!" he shouted once he reached the top. "I'm ready for the final trial!"

"Then let the Trial of Power begin," the firey voice spoke. In an instant, two large, stone hands fell to the ground. They slowly rose into the air, and Link noticed they weren't attached to anything. In the centers of each hand lied a small, machine-like eye. However, that was not all that awaited him. A head made of stone, looking much like the head of a King wearing a crown appeared behind the hands. The hands then came together as fists, striking knuckle to knuckle with one another. "Behold, the greatest test of power, the great Gohdan!"

"Oh boy…" Link spoke and sighed. "We've got our work cut out for us today, don't we? You could have just said 'No, I don't think I'll be the hero this time' but NO you wanted to be the hero. You had to rescue your sister…and now look at where you are…" He shrugged. "Eh, such is life I suppose." Quickly, one of the fists came down to strike, but Link quickly jumped out of the way. "I've got…well…" Link reached into his pouch once more and pulled out his grappling hook. "A hook! Yeah! A hook! I'm not afraid to use it either!"

Suddenly, one of the hands grabbed Link's grappling hook, crushing the end of it and Link's eyes went wide. "Eep…" he squeaked out. "I wish I hadn't melted my sword!" he shouted as he quickly darted away, searching around for anything he could use as a weapon. "There must be something around here…a stick, a piece of metal, a stone…anything!" He then found himself tripping on something, causing him to fall to the ground.

"What tripped me?" Link asked as he turned. He found he had tripped upon the smashed remains of the last man who had tried to pass this trial. "Ack!" he shouted and jumped back. However, it was there that he noticed a bow and quiver, still in tact. He quickly scooped the bow up and grabbed and arrow, aiming up at his opponent. "I have a bow! I'll use it!" he shouted, then stopped and thought for a moment. "Why am I threatening a piece of stone? It's not going to listen!"

Quickly, Link took aim, aiming at one of the eyes on the hands. He let go and the arrow sailed forward, striking the eye dead on. The entire hand went into a violent fit, then collapsed to the ground. "That's one!" he shouted. He then aimed the bow a second time, firing it at the second hand's eye. This one hit direct on as well, sending the second hand into a violent fit before it collapsed to the ground. "How am I doing that?" he asked as he stared at the bow. "Is this a magic bow as well?"

Gohdan's eyes grew larger and its mouth opened wide. Suddenly, a huge blast of fire was forced out of Gohdan's mouth, aiming for Link. He quickly jumped back, then rushed around behind Gohdan. As it turned, Link hit Gohdan in one of its eyes with the arrow. Gohdan roared then turned down to look at Link as a second arrow rose up, striking him in the other eye.

Gohdan roared and its head shook violently before collapsing to the ground, its mouth wide open. The head seemed to twitch, as if trying to get up but being unable to. Link aimed the arrow into its mouth and fired, but it seemed to have no effect. The statue's head just continued to twitch as it lied there. "Is it dead, then?" Link asked, but soon the hands began to slowly rise up, preparing to attack once more. "I'll guess not…" he spoke and turned.

It was there, upon the edge of the tower, that Link saw a strange sight. A small black orb-like plant with a flower on the top of it. Suddenly, visions seemed to enter his mind, a memory of a time he couldn't possibly know. Soon two words came to his mouth "Bomb Flower". He quickly shook his head and rushed forward. The memories had told him what he needed to know.

Link quickly scooped the flower up and turned, tossing it forward. Gohdan's head slowly began to rise, its mouth still hanging open. The Bomb Flower landed directly inside the statue's mouth, and as it closed its mouth, the flower exploded. Cracks quickly formed around the statue's mouth at first, which then seemed to expand out further. Soon, Gohdan's head roared before it exploded. The hands then collapsed to the ground, and Link stared forward at the destruction.

"Is it…finally dead?" he asked, then looked up.

"You have passed the Trial of Power," the fiery voice spoke.

"You have passed the Trial of Wisdom," the fluid voice spoke.

"And you have passed the Trial of Courage," the earthen voice spoke.

"Now, Hero of Time, climb the stairs," the three spoke in unison. "Ring the bell, let the Great Sea hear the song of the Hero, and may your destiny and the truth of this world finally be revealed unto you." The voices faded, and Link stared forward.

"The truth of this world?" he asked. Finally, he stepped forward, climbing the stairs up the tower. There, at the top, he found himself standing before a magnificent bell. There was nothing else but the bell there, save for the pillars that held it up. Link reached forward and grabbed the bell string, then pulled on it, making the bell ring.

It was as if there was then a great melody of bells, as if forty different bells sang out in a different voice. Link felt the wind swirl around him and he was lifted into the air. He then found himself descending down, soon landing inside King once more. A smile was on King's face, and a look of anger, yet pleasure, was on Tetra's face. The wind then swirled around the tower and soon, a golden glow appeared in the center of the ring. "This is it, Link, the truth now lies before us," King spoke.

"The truth?" Link asked and King gave a nod.

"The truth of this world, and the truth about what happened to the ancient kingdom four hundred years ago. Prepare yourself, we enter the light." Link and Tetra raised their hands as King seemed to sail himself directly into the light. The light shined up around them, and they closed their eyes. They knew not what they would soon discover.


	13. The Great, Drowned Land of Hyrule

**Chapter 13: The Great, Drowned Land of Hyrule**

"What…is this?" Tetra asked as her eyes searched around her. They were surrounded by a golden light as they seemed to be slowly sinking into the sea. At first Link and Tetra had panicked and held their breaths, but when they found they couldn't hold them any longer, they gasped for air, only to find the water seemed oddly breathable. "King, tell me, what is this?"

"This is a portal," King spoke. "We are descending beneath the Great Sea. Normally, you would not be able to breathe the water here, but through this portal you can. And you will soon discover that the sea is not a real sea."

"Not a real sea? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tetra turned to glance around, she still saw nothing at this time, just water as far as the eye could see.

"The Great Sea is like a bubble. To those who do not cross through the portal, you could swim indefinitely and never reach the bottom, but if you use the portal, you'll find the sea is not as deep as you would imagine, and a land exists inside a bubble of air."

"A land exists under the sea? In a bubble?" Tetra shook her head. "This is making no sense."

"You'll understand soon enough." King was right, for no sooner had he finished his statement then did the gold light around them begin to dim. Tetra noticed as the water seemed to suddenly vanish from around them, and her eyes went wide. Before her, several hundred feet down, was a massive castle. Its great towers rose up, and she noticed they were descending down towards it, still moving slowly, as if by magic.

Tetra then noticed the land expanded outward, reaching out as far as the eye could see. She could see grass, she could see paths, and she could see a village far to the south. However, what truly caught her eyes was the fact that there seemed to be no color in this new land. It all seemed to be shades of grays, whites, and blacks. "What is this?" Tetra almost shouted.

"This is the Great Sunken Land of Hyrule!" King spoke. "Three hundred years ago, this kingdom existed prosperously. Until Ganon appeared and tried to take over the Kingdom."

"The Kingdom from the legends…then…that land didn't just disappear? It sank? But how?"

King closed his eyes. "I shall tell you the tale."

* * *

"Your majesty!" a guard shouted as he rushed into the castle throne room. He stopped before the throne and bowed, breathing heavily. He had obviously been running for quite a ways. Upon the throne sat a rather tall man. He wore a red robe that had a blue tunic under it. He also wore a pair of tights to cover his legs and a pair of boots to cover his feet. His hair had gone gray in his old age and he wore a golden crown upon his head. This was the King of Hyrule.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" the King asked in a rather deep and angry voice.

"The darkness has returned, your majesty," the guard spoke, his head bowed down.

"What darkness?"

"The Evil King…"

"Nonsense, he is nothing but legend."

"But he has returned! He came from the mountains, just as the Princess said-"

"Silence!" the King bellowed out. "I'll have no talk about visions my daughter has pretended to see."

"But your majesty…"

"I said silence!" the King bellowed even louder. "Take him away," he spoke to the guards at his side. The guards did as instructed and threw the man out of the throne room. "Feh…I don't believe in ghosts of the past or in visions."

"Then you will only believe it if you see with your own eyes?" a female voice spoke and the King turned to see his daughter standing in the shadows. He knew it was her as he could see the pink, sleeveless dress she wore, along with her long blonde hair that came to her waist. She couldn't have been much younger then eighteen or so.

"What are you doing here, daughter?"

"Father, the darkness has returned! I saw it in my vision. The soldier speaks the truth. The man has returned. His seal was weakest at Death Mountain, and now he has found a way through it and to us. We must act now or lose all of Hyrule!"

"Silence!" the King shouted and his hand swung around, striking the princess across the face, knocking her down. "I will have no nonsense in my land. You say you have seen visions? It is impossible!"

"Father, please listen to me!" the Princess shouted as she slowly stood to her feet. "You must send the guard out at once!"

"Enough!" The King slapped his daughter once more and she fell to the ground once more. "The darkness you speak of is a lie! There is no darkness coming to this land, not now, not ever!"

* * *

"So…was the darkness really coming then?" Tetra asked as King finally set down. They now sat upon a small lake in the courtyard, only a few feet wide in any direction.

"Yes…" King spoke and looked down. "Unfortunately, it had…and the King did not realize it…However, the Princess knew what was coming, and she had a plan."

* * *

"Father, you shame me…" the Princess spoke as she quickly covered herself with a cloak, pulling the hood over it. "If you will do nothing, then I will."

"Are you sure of this?" an elderly woman asked as she stood next to the Princess.

"Yes, Impa, I'm quite sure of this. Father will not send out the guard…and the only other hope is the Hero of Time…"

"But where will you find him?"

"I will search in the Temple of Time…Last time he appeared six hundred years ago, he appeared there. Maybe, if I pray to the Goddesses there, he will appear."

"You are certain of this?"

"No…but it's the only option…" The Princess turned and walked to her window and tossed a rope out of it. "I will return with the Hero of Time, Impa." She grabbed the rope and slowly made her way down the side of the castle. When she reached the ground, she rushed off. She quickly ran through the Hyrule Market and into a large church-like building. Inside was a small pedestal, and upon the pedestal lied three stones.

Behind the pedestal was a set of stairs that led up to an archway that held three golden triangles above it, forming an ancient symbol of Hyrule. Beyond the door lied a pedestal, and upon the pedestal lied a sword. Its blade shined brightly in the light cast down from the stained glass windows above it. The hilt of the sword was purple in color and formed a W shape with a grip extending out of it. A small golden triangle then rested at the middle of the W shape.

The Princess knelt down by the sword and closed her eyes. "Oh, Great Goddesses of Hyrule, I call upon you. The land is threatened once more by the evil that plagued our land six hundred years ago. Please, we need the Hero of Time once more. Please, Great Goddesses, deliver the hero to us once more, so that we may be delivered from this terrible fate."

The Princess opened her eyes, and they went wide when she noticed a bright glow before her. She quickly jumped to her feet and stepped back, holding her hand up to block the light. A moment later, it vanished, and the room seemed to be filled with a red light. When the Princess pulled her hand down, her eyes fell upon a beautiful woman.

The woman's eyes and hair were a beautiful fire-red color. Her outfit consisted of a strapless red dress that ended at her feet, along with two golden bracers around her wrists. Her hair was long, ending at her waist, while a pair of red wing-like objects sat in her hair. A golden circlet was around her head, and in the center was a fire-red diamond. She looked forward at the Princess and bowed.

"D-Din? Goddess of Power?" the Princess asked.

The woman before her nodded. "It is as you have said, I am Din," the woman spoke. "We, the Goddesses, have heard your prayer." She pulled her arms up across her chest and looked away. "However…we can do nothing…"

"Wh-what?"

"The Hero of Time…he was not taken up by us as the legends speak."

"Then…he just left the land? And he's dead?" the Princess asked, her head dropping.

"No…the truth is that the Princess Zelda sent him away."

"Sent him away?" the Princess asked, looking up.

"Yes, six hundred years ago, when the world became at peace, the Princess used her powers to send the Hero of Time back seven years into the past. From there, the past was altered in his time."

"The past was altered? Then you mean…"

"Time is split," Din spoke and finally turned back to look at Zelda. "The Hero of Time no longer exists in this time and cannot be returned to you."

"Then…what do we do?" the Princess asked.

"Take your people, lead them to the tops of the mountains." Din turned and gripped the sword behind her and drew it from the pedestal. "Take the Master Sword as well. Hide it within your castle. Place it there, deep within, and in two days the Evil King will attack. We will then use our powers to drown Hyrule."

"D-drown Hyrule?"

Din nodded. "It is the only way."

"What of the people?"

"That is why you must take them to the mountains. There, high in the mountains, the flood will not harm them. The land of Hyrule shall become a Great Sea, and from there, the people will live on. In the end, one day, they will sprout and recreate Hyrule."

"Is there nothing else that can be done?"

Din shook her head. "I fear not." Tears began to run down the Princess' cheeks and Din wrapped her arms around her. "Fear not, though, Princess, the Hero will return. The flood will not stop Ganondorf, but it will give us the time we need to bring him back, for in order to bring the Hero to this time, we will need another who can reach across the times."

"Reach across the times?" the Princess asked.

Din nodded. "The Hero exists in another time, and with our power we cannot reach across to that time. However, we can create one who can, but she will be like any Hylian. She must be born, mature, and grow. She must then learn of her powers and how to use them. Then we will visit with her and use her powers to find the Hero of Time and bring him to this time, but he too must then be born, mature, and grow."

"I understand."

"Then go, Princess, you haven't much time. Two days is all we can give you."

"I understand," the Princess spoke and stood to her feet. She took the Master Sword in hand and quickly rushed off, back to the castle.

* * *

"What happened then?" Link asked.

"The King did not listen…" King spoke, "the people were separated…some went to the mountains, others followed the King's orders… Two days later, the castle fell under siege and the Evil King almost conquered Hyrule…at the last moment, the flood came and drowned Hyrule."

"But…it doesn't look drowned," Tetra spoke as she looked around. "It looks…frozen…"

"Yes, that was the truth. Time was frozen and the kingdom was drowned. It was left under a bubble so that when the land was discovered again, those left behind could remake Hyrule."

"And who did the Goddesses form to reach through time?" Link asked.

King shook his head. "I don't know."

"How do you know all of this?" Tetra asked.

"The answer to that…you'll discover in time. Link, you must get the Master Sword now. It lies under the castle. You will find a room beneath the statue of the Hero of Time inside the castle. Form the Triforce, and the statue will open."

"Triforce?" Link asked.

King nodded. "Three triangles that form one triangle. Form it upon the statue, and the Master Sword will be yours to claim."

Link nodded and hopped off of King. "I'll do it then."

"Hurry," King spoke and Link rushed forward into the castle. Inside he found the castle was filled with all manner of monsters. Some he had seen, such as the Bokoblins, but others he had not. One looked like a mighty knight covered in armor, a large, double-handed sword in their hands, yet they wielded them with only a single hand. They each also carried shields, and the Mark of the Evil King rested upon their shields.

There were also Moblins throughout the castle as well. They were giant pig-human beasts who wielded spears as their weapons. Link then noticed the beasts had laid destruction to the castle. Things had been tossed over, railings broken on the second floor, and the bodies of guards killed in battle three hundred years before littered the ground. Everything was frozen in place, the monsters showing no sign of aging, nor the dead bodies showing any sign of decay.

In the center of the room Link noticed what he had come to find. A large statue sat there of a man dressed in a tunic much like Link's. In his left hand was a large sword that matched the description of the Master Sword, and his right hand was a shield that had a reflective surface, much like it was a mirror. The symbol of Hyrule, a phoenix rising up and surrounding three golden triangles, was upon the shield. "Those triangles," Link spoke. "The Triforce?"

Link then looked down, noticing the same symbol on the front of the statue. However, the triangles looked odd, as if they had been misplaced. Link rose his hand and slid one of the triangles into place, and it pushed back and into the statue. He did it once more with the other two, forming three triangles with a triangle missing in the center. Suddenly, the statue began to rumble as slowly moved backwards, revealing a set of stone stairs that led down into darkness.

Link pulled his courage together and stepped down into the darkness, following the stairs carefully. Soon, he found himself in a large circular room and his eyes went wide. "This room…" he spoke. He turned, seeing six stained glass windows around the room. Each one had a picture of someone else upon it.

Suddenly, Link grabbed his head and fell to his knees. He felt a strange pain as memories seemed to flood into his mind. "What…is this?" he asked as he struggled. The memories each played themselves out before his eyes, and his eyes went wide. He suddenly looked up at the windows, glancing at each one. "Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru…" he spoke. "Why do I feel like…I'm remembering an old past?"

Link stood to his feet and walked forward. In the center of the room lied a circular platform. Six statues stood around the platform, their swords up and ready, as if to fight. It was there, in the center of the platform that Link saw it. It was the Master Sword, and he quickly rushed forward to grab it. As his hand grew near it, he noticed that the hilt of the blade seemed strange. The statue showed the hilt forming a W shape, but this blade didn't have that. Although, it looked as if the sides of the hilt could pull out to form the shape.

"This…is the Master Sword…right?" Link asked himself as he stepped forward and gripped the hilt of the blade. At once, he found himself transported into a white room, before him stood a dark figure that looked exactly like him, but wore a black tunic and had dark hair. In his hand was a shield that looked exactly like Link's, but it looked like the colors had been inverted, making it black. The man also wielded a sword that looked exactly like a black version of the Master Sword. "Who are you?" Link shouted.

"You are not the Hero of Time," the dark man spoke in a whispery voice and this caused Link to take a step back.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You are not the Hero of Time," the dark man repeated. The man took a step back, as if to charge. Suddenly, the man vanished and Link fell to the ground. The man was now behind him, pushing him to the ground with his shield. "Give it up, boy."

"N-no!" Link shouted and pushed himself up, knocking the man back. "Who are you to tell me who I am or am not?"

"I am you. I am your hate, your anger, your desire for revenge."

"R-revenge? What revenge?"

"Revenge for the loss of your father. Revenge for the loss of your mother."

"F-father died in a storm! And mother…she died…giving birth…"

"The same storm you braved. It must have been Ganon's work," the dark man spoke and Link's eyes went wide. He was right. It was exactly the same storm. Nayru's pearl had dispelled the storm the first time, and again the second time. "Your mother, you think she died naturally?"

Link growled. "Yes!"

"Wrong!" the dark man shouted. "You know it in your heart. Ever since you discovered the powers of Ganon, ever since you discovered his evils, you know it was him. He poisoned your mother!"

Link's eyes went wide once more. It was true, the thought had crossed his mind more then once before. The thought that maybe Ganon had caused his mother's death. But why? Why would he want to take her out? "Outset Island," the dark man spoke. "You know what it means. 'Island of the Hero'. You were born there, and you know as well as me that all the women who have had children there in the last ten years have died!"

Link's fists balled up. The man was speaking the truth, and he could feel the anger burning inside of him. "Who will be the next victim be? You want to kill Ganon before he can kill anyone else."

"I must…I must get the Master Sword…I have to save my sister…stop Ganon…"

"Why? Revenge for those he's killed? He's killed for many long years. Back in the past, when it took seven years for the Hero to appear. Back three hundred years ago when he tried to destroy Hyrule. Now, while he sits in the Forsaken Fortress, killing more and more. What makes you so certain Aryll is even still alive?" A grin appeared the dark man's face.

"She is still alive! And I will save her, and I will kill Ganon!"

"No!" the dark man shouted. Link felt the dark man's sword cut through his chest, and he collapsed to the ground. His whole body felt like he had just been chopped in half, though he had no visible wounds. "You are not the Hero of Time."

Link growled and pushed himself to his feet. "Why do you say that?"

"The Hero of Time cannot hate. He cannot desire revenge. These are things of evil, and evil cannot touch the Master Sword."

"Then…I need to remove these things…hatred and revenge…"

"Yes."

"And if I do…I'll be the Hero of Time?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You are not the Hero of Time."

Link roared and stood to his feet. "Test me! Test me and see if I am or not! I forgive my past, and I hold no hatred or revenge in my heart! Test me now!"

The dark man smirked. "If I test you, you will die."

"Try me…"

The dark man rose his sword. "Very well." Suddenly, Link felt the man's sword stab through his chest. His eyes went wide, but after a moment, he realized he felt no pain. The pain from the other attacks seemed to be slowly vanishing, and the dark man drew his sword back. "You are the Hero of Time…" he spoke and bowed, driving his sword into the ground. "The darkness in you is fading…there is nothing left to cling to…"

The white room seemed to fade away along with the dark man. Link's hand once again rested on the hilt of the Master Sword, and he gripped it firmly. He closed his eyes, breathing out. "I am the Hero of Time," he spoke and pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal. He rose it up into the air and he smiled. "I am the Hero of Time!" he shouted.

Suddenly, color shout out from the pedestal, and Link noticed as the world around him suddenly became full of color. He quickly rushed up the stairs, only to find the monsters had begun roaming the castle once more. Time had resumed, and he was stuck in the middle of an army.


	14. Return to the Forsaken Fortress

**Chapter 14: Return to the Forsaken Fortress**

Link collapsed to the ground, panting for breath. All around him lied the bodies of his enemies, the army he had slaughtered in an attempt to escape the castle. The clank of steel covered footsteps could be heard from not too far off, and Link growled. "Fuck…" Link swore, then pulled himself to his feet and turned around. In front of him now lie one of Ganon's knights known as a Darknut. "Aw damn it…not another one of you…"

"You will not survive, Hero of Time!" the Darknut shouted and rushed forward. Link quickly swung up with his sword, and the Darknut countered the blow. The mighty knight seemed to be having no difficulty wielding such a massive blade with a single hand, and this put Link at a disadvantage.

"Yeah? Well, if I'm the Hero of Time, then it's my job to survive and kill you!" Link quickly pushed off with his sword, pushing the Darknut back ever so slightly. With a quick swing of his shield, he struck the Darknut in the face splintering the wooden shield apart upon the knight's helmet. With a quick turn, he then brought his sword down, striking the Darknut from shoulder to waist, making him roar in pain, then collapse to the ground, now cut in half. "Aw shit! That was my family's shield, too…"

Link turned to glance around the interior of the castle. His eyes were searching for any sort of movement they could find, but they found nothing. Link gave a sigh of relief then put his hand to his chest. His heart was beating fast, and he was exhausted. "Just got to get back to King now…shouldn't be too hard…" He sheathed his sword and walked forward, making his way back outside to the courtyard where King and Tetra were.

"Took you long enough," Tetra spoke, folding her arms over her chest.

"Did you get it?" King asked.

Link nodded. "Yes." He drew his sword and held it out.

"Yes, that's most definitely the Evil-Slaying Sword…though something about it seems…odd…"

"How so?"

King shook his head. "Perhaps it is my imagination. With that sword, we can rescue your sister."

"Awesome!" Link shouted and smiled, sheathing the sword. "But first…" He stepped into the boat and sat down, putting his head back. "I'm taking a nap…there were at least fifty monsters in there that all came to life once I drew the Master Sword."

"Yes…I noticed the color had returned to the land…Time is no longer frozen here. We must hurry."

"So far, I haven't seen a purpose to my coming along with you," Tetra spoke.

"Your purpose…" King spoke, pausing for a few seconds. "If I am correct, it will be revealed soon enough."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You'll find out." With that, King turned and a golden light shot up from under him which rose them back up to the top of the Great Sea. "Now, on to the Forsaken Fortress." Tetra took the rudder, noticing Link had fallen fast asleep. She noted the wind was blowing to the northwest, which was where they needed to go. She pulled up the sail, and the wind caught in it, allowing them to set off towards the Forsaken Fortress.

* * *

Ganon stood before his prisoners, staring at each one individually. As he did, he saw Aryll jump to her feet and glare in his direction. "Yes?" he asked.

"My Onii-sama will be back!" Aryll spoke.

Ganon laughed. "Will he now? What makes you think that?"

"Because my Onii-sama has the courage to save us."

"The courage to save you?" Ganon laughed loudly. "Please! He may be wearing the Hero's Clothes, regardless of how unbearably warm they look, but his courage is nothing as compared to the courage of the Hero of Time."

"Why do you keep us here?" one of the other prisoners asked as she looked up at Ganon.

"Why not? It's one less pointed eared girl I have to capture."

"And just what are you seeking capturing pointed eared girls?" the third girl asked.

Ganon laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Aryll growled. "Onii-sama will save us, no matter what!" she shouted. This just made Ganon laugh more.

"Let me tell you something, little girl," Ganon spoke as he gripped Aryll's dress by the collar and pulled her close. "You are nothing to me. I could kill you in a single instant."

Aryll struggled to pull away from Ganon's grip. "Let me go!"

"As you wish." Ganon pulled his hand back and tossed Aryll across the cell. She slammed against the cell wall, then slumped down, wincing in pain. "May that be a warning. Any who dare defy me will get much worse." He then turned and walked out of the cell, closing the door behind him.

Just as he shut the door, Ganon felt something grip him. He collapsed to one knee, growling. Pain surged through every muscle of his body, but he enjoyed the feeling. There was only one thing that could cause this kind of reaction, and that was the return of his power. After a moment, he laughed loudly and stood to his feet, fire now in his eyes. "So, this is it then, is it? The boy has drawn the Master Sword."

Ganon rose his hand up and a ball of flame appeared in his hand. He laughed even louder and unleashed it out the nearby window. "Yes! Yes!" he shouted thrust his hands to his side. In an instant, an army of ten soldiers appeared at his side in a blaze of flame. "You're coming here now, aren't you, boy? Yes…I'm certain of it…Then…I'll let you come."

Ganon thrust his hand to his side once more, and this time smoke arose in front of him. It grew and took form into a massive being of darkness. A two handed blade rested in its hand, and its body was covered in black armor. Two eyes of fire could be seen beneath the helmet, and a long, black cape flowed off its back. The beast knelt down before Ganon, and he smirked. "My Phantom, welcome to the World of the Living once more."

"What do you need of me, Lord Ganon?" the phantom asked.

"The Hero of Time will be here soon. He is on his way from Hyrule to this place. I want you to be there to…greet him when he arrives." A smirk formed across Ganon's mouth.

"As you wish, Lord Ganon." The Phantom then disappeared in a puff of smoke and Ganon laughed loudly.

* * *

"We're here, Link," Tetra spoke as she shook Link. However, what followed surprised even her. Link had taken her hand and pulled her down. "What the…Link?"

"I love you," Link spoke, though he seemed not to have even opened his eyes yet.

"What the hell?" Tetra smacked Link across the face, and his eyes went wide as he rolled onto his side. She snorted and folded her arms over her chest. "How rude…to talk about loving someone in your sleep."

"I what?" Link rubbed his cheek.

Tetra growled. "Just wake the hell up and get your ass in there already!"

Link rubbed his eyes and sat up, stretching. "Sorry…now, what's the plan here?"

"We barrel in," King spoke.

"Barrel in? How the hell do we do that?" Link asked.

"With help," Tetra spoke and stood to her feet. She waved and Link turned, now seeing Tetra's pirate ship was not too far off. One of the pirates had noticed her wave and the boat began to move in their direction. "We'll cover you, you get in there and save your sister."

"Understood." Link nodded. Once the ship arrived, the crew tossed Tetra a ladder and she quickly climbed on board. A moment later, and cannons were firing in the direction of the Fortress. "Here we go!" Link grabbed the rudder and waved the Wind Waker towards the only entrance to the Fortress. King quickly swung around and, while the Fortress' cannons were occupied with Tetra's ship, quickly sped inside the Fortress.

"Go! Go!" King shouted and Link quickly leaped out of the boat and onto the land. He drew his sword and rushed forward, running up the stairs. At once he was met by a group of small imps. Link quickly pulled his sword back and energy began to swirl into the blade.

"KaiTenGiri!" Link shouted and spun in place, unleashing the energy out in a circle around him which cut away the imps. Unlike the monsters from before, these ones seemed to pop into a puff of smoke, then vanish. He then growled and rushed forward, making his way deeper into the Fortress.

Link fought fiercely as he fought his way through the Fortress, taking out all manner of Ganon's minions. From imps to Bokoblins to Moblins, they all fell before Link's sword, and with each creature he killed, they seemed to disperse into magic. "This is weird," he spoke as he killed the last Moblin in sight, watching it disperse. "Something's not right here…"

"So, you've seen through it, have you?" a deep voice asked and Link readied himself.

"Whose there?"

"A spectre from your past."

"From my past?"

"Yes, Link, from your past. A thousand years ago we fought in battle, deep within the Lost Woods and even deeper still into the Sacred Forest Meadow."

Link grabbed his head as memories seemed to flood into his mind. He remembered things. A girl dressed in green, he had loved her once. A forest filled with children in green clothes. They were attacked, forced to hide in their homes. Then a hero came and saved them, no, not just any hero, it was him. Link's eyes went wide as he saw a memory of a temple buried deep in the forest. "You…your Ganon's Phantom!" he shouted out.

"Correct!" the Phantom shouted, then appeared before Link in a huge cloud of smoke. He drew his sword and rushed at Link, the two colliding their swords together. Neither budged as they growled, pushing against one another.

"I remember you! Ganon took over the Forest Temple. You were then left to guard it. I fought you, and I freed the Sage of Forest. The girl I used to love dearly. I saved her from you."

"Yes." The Phantom quickly jumped back, but his feet never touched the ground as he began to float.

"But Ganondorf sealed you away in the Realm Between Dimensions." Link growled. "And now your back."

"And even stronger," the Phantom spoke and rushed forward. Link rose the Master Sword and blocked the attack. The two growled once more and after a moment the Phantom began to laugh. "You know, you're weak."

"Am not."

"You're so weak you can't even use the power of the Master Sword."

"What power?" Link growled.

The Phantom laughed. "Like I would tell you!" The Phantom grabbed his sword with his second hand and pushed Link back, knocking him to the ground. "Now die!" he shouted.

Suddenly, a memory jumped through Link's mind, and he quickly aimed the Master Sword forward. It began to glow brightly, and the Phantom roared pulling his hands up to his face. A large beam of light then shot forward from the sword striking the Phantom in the chest. He roared and the light seemed to crack through his body. Finally, the Phantom's body shattered apart. "Damn…what the hell was that?" Link asked and breathed deeply.

Link pushed himself to his feet and readied his sword as he continued to make his way deeper into the Fortress. It didn't take him very long before he had reached the door to Prison Tower, and his hand pushed against it, making the door creek open. "Onii-sama!" Aryll shouted at once.

Link smiled and waved, then readied himself as he looked up. The bird that had grabbed him before was nowhere in sight. Slowly, he made his way to the cell and struck the lock with his sword, which seemed to melt the lock apart. "This is getting weirder and weirder…" he spoke before opening the door.

At once, Aryll jumped on him, knocking him to the ground. Her arms wrapped around him in a hug and a look of sheer joy to finally be free and finally see her brother again was upon her face. "Thank you, Onii-sama," she spoke. Tears then formed in her eyes and Link noticed it.

"Aryll, what's wrong?"

"I…I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

"That…Onii-sama was dead…" This left a shocked expression upon the other girls in the cell. "I knew…you'd save us…but after the bird took you away…and you didn't appear again…I began to think…you might be dead…I tried not to lose faith…but it was so hard…"

"There, there, I'm here now," Link spoke and smiled as he held Aryll closer. "Once we kill the bird and bring the man that imprisoned you all to justice, we'll all go home together, back to Outset Island, ok?"

Aryll sniffed and nodded. "Okay."

"Oy!" Tetra shouted and Link turned. She had a very angry expression on her face. "Are you going to sit here all day, or are we going to finish this? You've got a job to do still, remember?"

Link nodded and stood to his feet, setting Aryll down. "Can you take care of them?" he asked.

Tetra nodded. "We'll get them back to their islands. You just take care of the bird and Ganon."

"Understood." Link drew his sword and looked up. "Where is the bird, though?"

"My crew had it distracted. We hit it in the head a couple times, cracked its helmet good, but you'll have to find a way to get through the rest of that things helmet."

Link nodded and looked down to his sword. "I think…I can…" He rose his sword up and closed his eyes. "If there was ever a good time for a vision to flow through me, now would be it." It was just as Link asked for, a vision flooded through his mind. He was standing there, his sword in his hand. He swung the sword in six different patterns, each one producing a different attack.

Link looked up once more when the vision stopped and he nodded. "I understand." He quickly rushed up the stairs that swirled around the edge of the tower, leading higher and higher up the tower. At the top, he turned to seek out his opponent, but his eyes did not have far to search, for the great Helmaroc King was already there, waiting for him at the top.

"All right, bird," Link spoke as he aimed his sword forward. "It's time this ends."

"How right you are," a deep voice spoke and Link turned to see Ganon not too far off. He was smirking. "Well, don't let me intrude. Please, go ahead, fight the bird with that pathetic sword."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

Ganon laughed. "You fool, that blade may be the Master Sword, but even I can see the truth. The sword's power to repel and slay evil…is gone!"

"What?" Link looked down at his sword. So that's what it was. That's why it seemed so much different from the statue and from his memories.

Ganon laughed. "You may have the power of the six sages, but you do not have the power to destroy me with that dull blade. Helmaroc King, destroy this boy!"

The Helmaroc King squawked loudly and flew into the air. Link gripped the Master Sword tight and turned, swinging his sword up in an arc. "Forest Beam!" he shouted and a huge arc of green energy formed before Link, then shot forward, striking the Helmaroc King hard. It squawked loudly and collapsed to the top of the tower. It shook as it tried to pull itself up, only to be struck by another blast of Link's Forest Beam.

"Now we end this." Link held the sword in the air, then brought it down, swinging it in a sideways figure-eight motion in front of him. He then thrust his sword into the top of the tower and fire burst up the blade. "Flaming Dragons!" he shouted and rose the sword up. As he did, fire followed up, forming into six large dragons made of pure fire. They roared and came down, striking against the Helmaroc King.

The giant bird screeched in pain as the flames licked its body. It began to swing its massive wings about wildly, and the flames on its body seemed to jump off and lick the surrounding towers. Finally, it gave one final screech and fell backward off the tower, slamming head first into the solid ground beneath it. Its neck snapped, and its body collapsed, twitching for only a moment before it finally died.

Link then turned, his sword held at the ready. "Now for you."

Ganon laughed once more. "Yes, you are most certainly the Hero of Time!" he laughed once more then rose his hand. A huge ball of energy formed in his hand then shot forward, striking Link and knocking him back. "You stupid kid. How many times will we have to continue this battle before you finally give up?" He grabbed Link by the hand and rose him up.

"I'll never give up!" Link shouted. "Even if I have to die and come back a hundred times!"

Ganon growled and tossed Link away. Quickly, a hand reached out and grabbed him before he could fly off the tower. Link felt himself get tugged back rather roughly, and when he looked up, he saw Tetra standing before him. "Tetra?" he asked.

"You looked like you needed some help," Tetra smiled and winked.

Ganon laughed. "And who exactly are you?" he asked.

"Name's Tetra, Queen of the Pirates." Tetra grabbed the blade at her side and drew it, holding it forward. "Remember it on your way to hell."

Ganon laughed. "Your as foolish as the boy is! Fine, you want to die as well, then so be it!" Ganon rose his hands into the air and laughed. "Triforce of Power, head my words! Give me power, give me strength!" Soon, a massive ball of dark energy formed above Ganon's head and he laughed insanely. "Die!" he shouted and tossed the orb forward.

Quickly, Link jumped in front of Tetra and held the Master Sword in front of him. "Spirit Barrier!" he shouted and a huge orb of golden energy swirled around him and Tetra. The orb of dark energy struck Link's barrier and he pushed forward upon his blade, as if trying to hold the attack back.

Suddenly, Tetra's eyes glowed and her necklace floated up and out of her shirt. It began to glow brightly, and Link felt the barrier strengthened by the glow. Finally, Link pushed the hardest he could and the barrier pushed the attack back, causing it to fly off into the air.

Ganon growled for a moment, then a smirk crossed his face. "So, she's the one is she?" He began to laugh insanely once more. "This is it then! All three of us are together! Triforce, hear my call, come out from us and come together!" He rose his hand into the air, and after a moment, nothing happened. "What?" he growled and looked forward. His eyes went wide when he saw Tetra's necklace. "No! You…you broke the Triforce of Wisdom?"

It was true, the charm on Tetra's necklace was a golden triangle, but a piece of it was missing, making it appear like an arrow instead of a triangle. "And you…" Ganon grabbed Link by the collar. "You don't even have the Triforce of Courage?!" He tossed Link to the ground.

"Fausana!" a voice shouted and Ganon turned. Before him, flying in the air, was Valoo. Ganon turned only to see Link and Tetra lifted into the air by two Rito. One of them was Komali, the other was Quill. Valoo inhaled deeply and Ganon turned. Ganon's face showed no emotion as Valoo unleashed his fiery breath upon Ganon and his tower. Ganon roared loudly as Valoo, Komali, and Quill flew off, taking Tetra and Link with them.


	15. The Princess of Destiny

**Chapter 15: The Princess of Destiny**

"Zei, jo ye ali Neume ke Ziirum?" Valoo asked as he stared down at Tetra. He seemed to be speaking about her, though his words were directed to the King of Red Lions. Tetra and Link were currently sitting inside of King while Valoo, Quill, and Komali sat atop the ring of the Tower of the Gods.

"Alu," King respond, nodding his head.

"Sosta Ganon jyun hilenne dea pue ubela…"

"Alu."

Valoo closed his eyes and sighed. "Tain soia garno mern ubela zei, bavu qell bavu ali ubela ke ali Yolanizu."

King nodded. "Zei mii ye bavu ani rendelne?"

"Alu."

King looked down, he looked worried. "Lian qell. Ani hoss helna isen bansalei ali bakuey."

"Zoirun." Valoo spread his wings and roared loudly, signaling it was time to leave.

"See ya, Link," Komali spoke and smiled. "Oh, and, thanks again for giving me courage back there. I really needed it."

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't mention it, Komali," he spoke.

"Hmph!" Tetra shouted and folded her arms. "So, what the hell was that all about?"

King turned his head to look at Tetra. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You and Valoo. What were you talking about? Why was Valoo staring at me the whole time?"

"That…I cannot say at this moment…we must return to Hyrule, there is much to discuss."

"Why can't we discuss it here?"

"Because…you must discuss it with another…"

"Another?" Link asked, tilting his head. "Who else still lives in Hyrule?"

"You'll see, Link, you'll see." With those words, Link grabbed hold of the rudder and turned them towards the tower. Once again the golden light rose up around them and they began their descent down into Hyrule once again.

It took them only a short time to reach the castle under the Great Sea. King had not spoken a word, nor had Link and Tetra the whole way down. Link sighed as he stood up, looking towards the castle that now loomed overhead. "So, where do we go this time, King?" he asked, then turned, noticing King was oddly quiet. "King?" He hopped off the boat and stepped around in front of it. King didn't seem to respond in the least.

"Come down here," a deep voice suddenly spoke, making Link jump three feet in the air.

"Who said that?" Link shouted.

"Check the stone," the voice spoke once more and Link pulled the stone out of his shirt. "That's it."

"Who the hell are you?" Tetra shouted. "Only Link and I can talk through that stone, how can you, too?"

The voice laughed. "My dear young pirate, you know so little. I will explain everything when you arrive. Quickly, come down here, I wait in the room that held the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword, huh?" Tetra sighed. "Well, you know where you got it from, so lead the way."

Link nodded and turned towards the castle. For a moment, he turned back to look at King. There was something oddly familiar about the voice from the stone, but where had he heard it from? It couldn't have been King…if it had, why would he have spoken through the stone? Why not just speak regularly? On top of that, King was there, in the water, and whoever this was was in the basement of the castle. No, there was no possible way it could be him.

Link then walked around and reached up to help Tetra out of the boat. She reluctantly took his hand and stepped out. The two then turned towards the castle and made their way up the stairs and into the entrance ahead of them. They went the same way Link had gone before, soon reaching the statue to find the pathway down was open.

"Wow…" Tetra spoke as she stared up at the statue.

"What?" Link asked, turning to look at her.

"The Hero of Time…I always believed…the stories were true…but a part of me told me they couldn't be…"

Link looked up at the statue and smiled. "Maybe I'll be as great as him. I am the new Hero of Time, after all."

Tetra gave out a loud "Ha!" at that. "You? As good as the original Hero of Time? Your head must be in the clouds, kid."

"Kid?" Link stared at her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Link, whatever."

"Thank you," Link spoke and turned to the stairs. "Besides, you can't be much older then me."

Tetra growled, but he was right. She had never said it, but she herself had turned seventeen not too long ago, which put her at a year older then Link. "Let's just go…"

Link nodded. "Right, just down these stairs and through a little water and we'll be there." Tetra nodded and the two made their way down the stairs and through the ankle-deep water that lied in the bottom of the basement. It was there that they saw a man, standing before the pedestal which Link had pulled the Master Sword from.

The man was rather tall and he wore a red robe that had a blue tunic under it. He also wore a pair of tights to cover his legs and a pair of boots to cover his feet. His hair had gone gray in his old age and he wore a golden crown upon his head. "Stay here," Link spoke in a whisper to Tetra.

"Are you serious? I'm the fuckin' pirate queen, you don't think I can handle myself?" Tetra whispered back.

Link sighed, she was right about that. She could handle herself. Link moved his hand behind his back and gripped the hilt of the Master Sword. Tetra also grabbed the hilt of her own sword. "We're here!" Link shouted rather loudly. "Now what do you want? Who are you?"

The man laughed, a smirk crossing his face. "You can release your weapons, I mean you no harm," he spoke, but Link and Tetra only gripped them tighter. The man turned to look at Link and Tetra, the smirk changing to a frown. "You don't recognize me?"

"Why should I?" Link asked.

"Think a moment, listen to my voice. That will tell you who I am."

Link looked back at Tetra, then back up at the man. "You sound like our boat-"

"And that I am!" the man shouted rather suddenly.

"Wait a minute…what?"

The man laughed. "I am King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Three hundred years ago, I ruled over Hyrule. My daughter, the Princess Zelda, warned me of Ganondorf's coming, but I would not listen. As such, the Goddess of Courage, Farore, came down upon our world. To pay for my sins, she crafted a boat and placed my soul within. Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, then separated the Triforce of Wisdom and gave half to me."

Link let his grip loosen, and soon he and Tetra had released the hold on their blades. "The…Triforce of Wisdom? You've talked about that…"

King nodded. "And now it is time for you to know the truth."

* * *

"Godesses of Hyrule, hear my prayer!" King shouted as he rose his hands to the sky. Rain was pouring down all around him, and he was soaking wet. "I…I beg your forgiveness! My daughter…Zelda…she had a vision…but I did not listen…please, forgive me for what I have done!"

"Your sins can be forgiven," an earthen voice spoke and King whirled around. Before him was the Goddess Farore. "However, they cannot be forgiven so easily. You and all of Hyrule are now destined to pay for your sins."

"Please…Farore…my goddess…I ask, is there anything I can do, anything at all, to pay for what I have done?"

"There is one thing. When the rain stops, and the flood is finished, we will need a vessel to carry the Triforce of Wisdom."

"We will be separating it in half," a more aquatic voice spoke and King turned to see Nayru standing before him. "Half will stay with the remainder of the Royal Family and will be passed down from princess to princess."

"The other half," a more firey voice spoke and King turned once more to now see Din standing before him, a look of anger was upon her face, "will be given to you."

Farore closed her eyes and raised her hands, in an instant a tree grew up around King. Din reached forth her hands and with a wave fire was unleashed upon the tree. She swirled it and soon, the tree was left in the form of a boat, with King himself now combined within it. Nayru then rose her hands and a golden triangle appeared between them. With a wave of her hand a triangular piece was sundered from the bottom, and she handed it to King, where it vanished inside of him.

"So to is your punishment," Din spoke. "You will be trapped in that form until the day the Hero arrives."

"You will wander aimlessly for the rest of your days. You will know no one, and no one shall acknowledge your existence," Nayru spoke. "Seek ye the Hero of Time, lest you be trapped this way."

"The Hero of Time shall remove our curse upon you. However, you shall still be trapped in this form until the day you return here to Hyrule," Farore spoke.

"Now listen to our words, for we shall speak them only once," Din spoke. "The Hero shall be born upon the island of Outset, thus bearing his name. Upon Outset, we shall also place the Triforce of Courage. It shall be split into eight, and we shall forge a magical labyrinth in which only the Hero of Time can maneuver and survive."

"When the time comes, all of this must be revealed to the Princess and the Hero of Time," Nayru spoke. "Remember now what has happened these days, and never forget them." With those words, the Goddesses seemed to vanish, and King was left to stare into the sky.

"I shall never forget…" King spoke, closing his eyes as the rain continued to pour around him.

* * *

"And that is why I speak these words to you now," King spoke as he looked down at Link and Tetra.

"But…didn't you just say you needed to tell the Princess and the Hero of Time these things?" Link asked.

King smirked. "You catch on quickly I see. Yes, you are correct, I needed to speak of these things to both the Hero of Time and the Princess." He turned to look at Tetra. "And the Princess is right before our eyes."

Tetra blinked. "Wait…" she spoke, blinking once more. "You don't mean…I'm not a…What the hell are you trying to say, old man?"

King's eye twitched at those words. "Old man? Who are you calling an old man?"

"You are over three hundred years old, after all," Tetra spoke with a shrug. "So, you're old."

King growled a little, but her words were true. He cleared his throat. "What I am saying, young lady, is that you are the Princess of Destiny."

Tetra suppressed a chuckle. "Seriously? You think you can just blab about some ancient story that supposedly happened to you, then suddenly announce I'm this Princess of Destiny and expect me to believe it? You're crazy! Come on, Link." Tetra turned to walk away.

"Hold, young one," King spoke and Tetra stopped in her tracks.

"What?"

"That necklace, show it to me."

Tetra blinked again and pulled the necklace from her shirt. "This one?"

King smirked and held his hand forward, in an instant, small, golden triangle appeared in his hand. He rose his other hand, and the charm on Tetra's neck vanished, re-appearing before King. He held his hands apart, both the charm and the triangle now floating between his hands. He slowly brought them together and a smirk formed on his face when they fit together perfectly. Tetra went to speak, but a bright light shined forth and she covered her eyes.

* * *

"Where…am I?" Tetra asked as she opened her eyes, seeing nothing but light in all directions of her.

A female voice giggled. "You're with me, silly."

"With…you? Who the hell are you? Where are you?"

The voice giggled again. "My name's Zelda. I've been waiting to meet you for a long time, Tetra."

"Zelda? How do you know my name?"

"Because, I foresaw this day three hundred years ago." The light seemed to dim down and soon Tetra saw a female form appear before her. A moment later, and she could make out a purple dress that covered her body. The next thing she noticed was her hair. It was quite long, at least waist length if not longer, and blonde in color. Her blue eyes then became visible, and Tetra's eyes went wide.

"You're…the Princess!"

Zelda giggled and nodded. "That I am, and so are you."

"Wh-what? Oh no, no way in hell. I am not a Princess. I'm a pirate queen, nothing else."

"Oh? Then why do you fantasize about being a Princess?"

Tetra seemed to choke on those words. "You…how…WHAT?!"

Zelda giggled again. "I know everything about you, Tetra. I saw your life three hundred years before you were born. I saw you grow up. I saw all your wishes and fantasies. I saw this meeting, and even…" she giggled again, "…who you'd marry in the future."

"WHAT?!" Tetra shouted once more. "Oh hell no! There is no fuckin' way you saw all of this. I mean…come on…I don't care if you are some Princess from ancient Hyrule, there is no way that-"

"The Triforce of Wisdom sees much, Tetra. It gives us visions of the future. Sometimes we need to know it, sometimes we don't. Sometimes, the visions are unclear…like a dark cloud over the land representing Ganondorf and his army getting ready to attack. No, Tetra, I have foreseen all of this, and soon, you will as well." Zelda reached her hand forward and Tetra jumped back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to share my memories with you. Once I do, you'll understand everything. You'll understand the Hero of Time, you'll understand yourself, and you'll understand what happened to this land."

"No," Tetra spoke stubbornly.

Zelda shrugged. "Well, have it your way, then." With a quick twirl, Zelda vanished and Tetra was left staring at nothing.

"That…was easy…but…why am I still-"

Tetra's sentence was cut off when a finger reached out from the light behind Tetra and touched the back of her head. Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open. Visions of the past flashed through her mind, though they seemed like they dragged on, showing her several hundred years of history before her very eyes. One memory in particular, stuck in her mind.

* * *

"Queen Zelda Shelias de Christine Susan Olivia Margaret Hyrule," Din spoke as she stared down at Zelda. The room was pitch black and Zelda found herself surrounded by the three Goddesses. This was a different Zelda then the others, the first one could say. She wore a purple halter dress that, at her waist, shifted into a white color. A golden belt was around her waist while a golden crown was in her hair. White gloves were upon her hands which then went up her arm and above her elbows. Her face showed great fear as she stared into the eyes of the Goddesses. "You have been charged with disturbing time itself."

Zelda turned to Nayru. "After Ganondorf's sealing, you sent the Hero of Time back in time," Nayru spoke. "While your intentions were good, they created a horrible…side effect you could say."

Zelda now turned to Farore, who had her eyes closed and her arms folded over her chest. "Time has become split at the point in which Link drew the Master Sword," Farore spoke. "In one time, the Hero of Time drew the sword and became the Hero of Time, saving your world from Ganondorf, but in the other, he did not. Instead, he warned the King of Hyrule about Ganondorf's deception and the King of Evil was thrown into the Twilight Realm with the Sheikahs."

Din now spoke. "On top of that, the Hero of Time retained the Triforce of Courage from your time. This caused a disturbance, forcing the Triforce pieces to separate, and a new Triforce of Courage to form in this time."

Nayru sighed and spoke. "There is only one way to repair the damage you have done to time, but it will take a long time, and even then it cannot be repaired fully. There will become two Hyrules one day…the only way to fuse the timelines without destroying the world."

Farore opened her eyes, speaking once again. "And now we come to this…you must pay for your sin, and the Hero of Time must also pay for your sin."

"No…" Zelda cried out. "Please, don't make him pay for my wrong doing!"

"There is no other way," Din spoke. "To fix what has been done, you both must suffer."

Zelda collapsed to her knees, tears flowing to the ground. "What…what will…you have me do…?" she asked through her tears.

"You and the Hero of Time will pay by being reborn every one hundred years," Din spoke. "As penance, your life shall be sixty years, and never more. When a hundred years has passed, your soul will be given to the next born child of the Royal Family, and you shall be reborn. When the Triforce of Wisdom is then passed to you, you shall inherit all of your memories, and you will constantly remember our words."

"However," Nayru spoke, "no one thing. Should you die before your sixty years are up, your soul will be lost forever."

"This curse is the same we place upon the Hero of Time," Farore spoke. "However, with one difference in that he must come in contact with the Triforce of Courage."

"I…I understand…" Zelda pulled herself together and looked up at the Goddesses before her. "Then…this shall be my fate…and this shall be the fate of the Hero of Time as well…there is no other way…" She closed her eyes and looked down. "Link…I'm sorry…"

* * *

"May I present to you, the Princess Zelda!" King spoke and the light from the Triforce vanished, along with the Triforce itself. Tetra now found herself standing there in the castle of Hyrule, once again back in the present time. Now, however, her skin was lighter, her hair was much longer, and she was dressed in-

"A dress?!" Tetra shouted as she looked down, noticing she was dressed in the same outfit Zelda wore when she was in the room of light. "Not just that…but a Princess dress?"

"With crown and everything," King spoke. "You are the Princess Zelda de Hyrule."

Tetra growled. "My fuckin' name is Tetra! Get that straight!"

"Your name is not important, young one. You are the re-incarnation of Princess Zelda herself, as you can see clearly from your outfit."

Tetra growled and looked at Link. She blinked when she noticed he was blushing heavily. "Wh-what?!" she shouted suddenly. "Is something on me?"

"N-no!" Link protested quickly. "You're just…just…"

"Just what?" Tetra glared at Link angrily.

The words caught in Link's throat and he forced them down with a gulp. After a moment, he spoke. "Beautiful…"

Tetra's eyes went wide and she blushed rather heavily at his words. "Now then," King spoke and Link and Tetra turned quickly to look at him, "there is another matter…you cannot leave this castle now in that form."

"So you expect me just to stay here?" Tetra asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes," King spoke rather bluntly.

"What the hell?!" Tetra shouted right in King's ear and he winced.

"We must keep you safe from the Evil King!"

"Isn't he dead?" Link asked. "Valoo torched him."

King sighed and shook his head. "If it was that simple…no…remember what I said before? Only the Master Sword can harm a Wielder of the Triforce?"

"Yeah…but it didn't seem to do anything…in fact, he said it was dull…"

"Dull is right!" King spoke suddenly, pushing out his chest. "Something must have happened to the Sages of Earth and Wind who keep the sword's power to repel evil alive. We must go at once and discover what happened to them!"

"But what about Tetra?"

"She'll be fine here."

"One fuckin' problem there, buddy…" Tetra spoke and King turned to look at her. "Any food or water in this place is three hundred years old. Who know show long it's going to take you to find the damn sages? It could take weeks or months! What the hell am I supposed to do about that?"

"Sleep, of course," King spoke rather bluntly.

"Sleep? Sleep?!" Tetra shouted and growled. She reached her hands forward to strangle King, but at once she felt herself growing oddly tired. "What…the hell…?"

"The Triforce of Wisdom will preserve you until we return. The Triforce of Courage has the power to awaken you again. When we have saved the sages and collected the Triforce of Courage, we will return for you."

Tetra went to say something, but she collapsed forward, which caused Link to rush forward and grab her quickly before she hit the ground. He then laid her down, then looked up to King. "Is it really safe to leave her here?"

"Safest place in all of Hyrule!" King protested.

"But…wasn't this place overrun by monsters before?"

"From the past! There's no monsters around now, are there?"

"True…"

"Go!" King suddenly shouted and rose his hand.

"What-" Before Link could even speak, he found himself teleported out of the castle and onto the boat. They were already above the water, and a moment later, King seemed to come alive. "What did you do?"

"Teleported us out. I closed the statue, so there is no way Ganondorf could ever get in."

Link sighed. "Well…let's hope you're right about that one…"

"Of course I am."

"Where to now?"

"Gust and Stonewatcher Islands. The Temple of Earth is on Stonewatcher Isle; the Temple of Winds is on Gust Isle. There we will discover what happened to the sages."

Link sighed and pulled out a sea chart to examine where each island was. "Long way…"

"Quite…but we should be fine…Zelda will be safe where she is."

"Tetra…" Link remarked. "But…yeah…she should be fine…or so I hope…" With that, Link rose the sail and the two were off. Neither knew where their adventure was about to take them, or the perils they were about to face upon the Great Sea.


	16. Cyclos and the Fairy Queen

**Chapter 16: Cyclos and the Fairy Queen**

"Link…" Medli spoke as she stared into the sky. Her harp was in her hand and she closed her eyes as she gently began to strum the strings. She played a soft and beautiful melody before re-opening her eyes and looking up to the sky once more. "I hope you're okay…"

"He's fine, Medli," Komali spoke and Medli quickly whirled around.

"Prince Komali!"

Komali chuckled. "Please, I've said it before, you can just call me 'Komali'."

"R-right…" Medli looked away from him and Komali set his hand upon her shoulder.

"Hey, he's fine, don't worry. We'll see him again real soon."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

"Damn it, King! This isn't working!" Link shouted as he pulled on King's rudder as hard as he could. To their left was a huge cyclone, at least fifty feet wide. The cyclone was swirling in place, and Link and King had been caught in it and were slowly getting pulled towards it.

"There's no other way out of this! Pull harder, Link!" King shouted.

"I'm pulling as hard as I can!"

Link then heard a sound, as if someone was laughing. "Yes! Die fools!" Link heard a voice shout. "I shall have my revenge on the whole of the Great Sea!"

"Did you hear that?" Link asked.

"Yes…it sounds like Cyclos…but why…" King stopped speaking suddenly. "The monument!"

"That's right! Zephos told us about that! He said that if we encountered a cyclone like this that we needed to 'use our eyes hard, for Cyclos exists within and our only hope of freedom would be to defeat him.' King, Cyclos is inside of that thing!"

"That doesn't help us any! We still can't get out of here! Also, how do you defeat a god?"

"With a lot of luck…" Link quickly pushed his leg up against the rudder, then pulled out his bow. He quickly whipped out an arrow from his quiver and looked into the cyclone. There he could see it, a shade of purple moving within the cyclone. He aimed the best he could and pulled the string back as much as he could. He then let the air fly and it traveled up into the cyclone. A moment passed, by the cyclone continued to swirl and Link growled.

"An arrow is not going to work!" King shouted. "It'll just get picked up by the wind!"

"Not if I do it just right…" Link aimed once more, looking hard into the cyclone. He could feel King was beginning to lift up a little as they grew ever closer to the cyclone. "Goddesses, help me!" he shouted before unleashing the arrow once more.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar from inside the cyclone, and in an instant the cyclone dispersed. King dropped into the water, and Link stared up at a large purple frog-like creature sitting upon a golden cloud. The frog was clutching his face, where Link could make out an arrow that seemed to be lodged in one of his eyes. Link cringed, hoping he hadn't made the cyclone wielder even angrier.

The frog pulled the arrow from his eye and blinked a few times, before looking down. The wound seemed to heal almost instantly. "Cyclos!" Link shouted. "We are not your enemies!"

"You…how do you know my name?" the frog asked as he slowly floated down towards them. "And how did you hit me?"

"I am Link, the Hero of Time re-incarnated."

Cyclos's eyes went wide. "The Hero of Time?" he shouted before doing something strange. He bowed. "My humble apologies, I did not realize who you were."

"It's…okay…" Link spoke and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Please, you don't need to bow…"

"I must make amends for what I have done to you!" Cyclos spoke rather loudly. "Come with me, we shall see the Fairy Queen!" Cyclos rose his hands and the wind began to swirl around them. They sound found themselves swirling up into the sky and Cyclos quickly ushered the wind forward to an island far away. The land of the island rose up, as if to form a wall of rock several hundred feet high that surrounded a large spring. It was there, in this spring, that Cyclos made the cyclone land.

Link gripped King tight, his head swirling from the constant spinning they had done while in the cyclone. "We have arrived!" Cyclos shouted and Link turned. He couldn't see anything as the world was spinning around him.

"Cyclos, you idiot!" King spoke. "Wasn't there any way to keep us from spinning inside the cyclone?"

"There was…why?"

"We're dizzy as hell!" King shouted. "Oh…my head…"

Link grabbed his head as he felt the world was slowly returning to normal. The spinning had stopped, but now he had a terrible throbbing in his head. "Oh…anyone get the number of that cyclone?" he asked.

"Link, now is not the time for jokes," King spoke and sighed. "Although the ride was terrible…"

"No matter!" Cyclos shouted suddenly. "We have arrived at last! Behold the Fairy Queen's Spring!"

Link and King looked around a moment. "I see a spring…but where's the Fairy Queen?" Link asked.

Suddenly, he heard a strange giggle and he whirled around. "I am here, Hero," a childish voice spoke and the spring began to glow. From the spring came a small girl, looking no more then five years old. She was dressed in a long white dress that had no sleeves and ended about her knees. She had amazing silver hair, and her skin seemed to shine as if it too was made of silver. In her hand was a small doll that looked to be of an older woman with four arms dressed in a long silver dress that ended at its knees. The doll had silver hair like the girl, but the doll's skin was blue and it had a pair of purple wings on its back.

"Are you the Fairy Queen?" Link asked.

The girl nodded. "I am." She floated down, touching her bare feet upon the clear water beneath her. "You must be the new Hero of Time, yes?"

Link nodded. "I am."

The girl giggled. "Well, it's great to meet you. I am the Fairy Queen Venus." She bowed. "Cyclos, did you bring him here?" she asked as she looked up at Cyclos.

"Yes, ma'am," Cyclos spoke. "I know you have been waiting for him for quite some time."

Venus nodded. "I and my ancestors have been waiting here in this fountain for centuries. It's so great to finally meet you!" She quickly rushed forward and hugged Link, which made him blush a little. After a moment, she stepped back and giggled. "Oh, I'm so happy this day has finally come! Would you like to play dolls with me? I have a lot of fairy dolls around here we can play with!"

Link rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Actually…I'm really only here because Cyclos brought me here…I'm not really even sure why he brought me here."

"Oh?" Venus frowned. "That's too bad…I wanted to play with you…"

"She's just like a child," King spoke quietly.

"She does look like one," Link responded back quietly.

Venus suddenly smiled. "Well, if you're the Hero of Time, then that means I have to give you a super special awesome secret power!"

Link blinked. "Super special awesome secret power?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Venus giggled and rose the doll into the air. "With my powers, I will grant to you the ability to use both fire and ice!" She held out her hands and the doll floated in the center of her hands. The doll's four arms stretched out then came together before pushing outward towards Link. Two small light flew forward from the doll's hands and touched Link's chest. In an instant, his eyes went wide and memories seemed to flood through his mind. These were memories once again of a time he could never possibly have known, but yet, they seemed dear to him.

As the memories finished he drew his bow and readied an arrow. As he pulled the bowstring back, fire erupted from the arrow, and he stared at wonder at this. He then pulled the arrow out of the string, twirled it in his hand, then put it back, pulling the string back once more. The arrow began to glow an icy blue and he stared at wonder once again at this.

"The power of fire, hot enough to melt virtually any ice," Venus spoke, "and the power of ice, cold enough to freeze virtually anything, even the hottest of flames."

"What about…lava?" Link asked.

Venus giggled and nodded. "It could freeze even that, but only for a time, Hero." She then rushed up to him and kissed him on the cheek, which made his face turn a deep shade of red. She giggled once more then turned around. She took a few steps away from him, folding her hands behind her back and looking up into the sky. "I know your mission…your trying to reach the sages…"

"That's right, but how did you know?"

"Ganondorf sealed them away long ago. If you want to reach them, you'll need two things. The first is the Power Bracelets that can be found inside Fire Mountain. You will need the Ice Arrows there. The second is the Iron Boots that can be found inside of Ice Ring Isle. It is there you will have need of the Fire Arrows."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

"Cyclos," Venus spoke as she turned to look at Cyclos, keeping her back to Link. "You take them to both islands. You're the only way out of this place, and you can get them to both of those the quickest."

"As you wish, Venus," Cyclos bowed.

Venus smiled then turned again, still not looking towards Link. "You know…I never thought I'd see this day come, where I finally met you." Venus looked down, almost looking sad. "Now, you have to go…" She closed her eyes, giving a sigh. She then whirled around, opening her eyes and getting directly into Link's face, staring at his eyes. "You will come back one day, though, right?"

"Y-yeah, probably," Link spoke and nodded.

Venus smiled. "I hope you do." She skipped back a little and smiled. "You know, Link…I think you're definitely…" she paused for a moment, "…my type."

"What?" Link asked in shock.

"Time to go!" Cyclos shouted and in an instant, Link and King were taken up in a cyclone.

"Good-bye…Hero…" Venus smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I hope we see each other again…" She then turned and slowly sank back under the water.


	17. The Sage of Earth

**Chapter 17: The Sage of Earth**

"This is it, Stonewatcher Island," King spoke as Link pulled the sail down and they slowed, stopping at the edge of the island. The island before them was fairly small with nothing on it except a large rock in the center of the island. The rock on the island was what gave the island its name, as it looked like a head that was staring out into the Great Sea.

"There's nothing here, though," Link spoke.

"Remember, the temples are under the sea. The Goddesses formed entrances to each of the temples above the sea, thus, you will need to find the entrance and go down it in order to find the temple."

"Then that stone…it probably blocks the entrance, doesn't it?"

King nodded. "I would guess as much. Venus said Ganondorf sealed the entrance, so it's possible."

"Good thing I got the Power Bracelets from Fire Mountain." Link looked down at the golden bracelets on his wrists. "Though I still wonder how something like this could give me the strength to lift a rock like that."

"Magic, Link," King spoke. "There is magic throughout this world, and it is that that gives us the ability to do what we must."

"I suppose that's true." Link hopped off of King and walked towards the rock. "Well, here goes nothing I suppose." Link cracked his knuckles then grabbed the bottom of the rock. He pulled with all of his might, and at once the bracelets began to glow. Slowly, Link lifted the rock up into the air, growling as he pulled the rock over his head. "Now, where do I put this thing?" he asked and looked around. He tried to move, but found he couldn't lift his legs under the weight of the rock. Finally, after a moment, Link pulled himself down, then tossed the rock forward, watching it fly several feet through the air, then crash down on the other side of the island.

"You did it!" King shouted.

"That…was heavy…" Link spoke, bending over and panting for breath. It was then that he noticed that where the rock had been was a rather large hole. Regaining his composure, he looked down it. "Hello?" he called out, but got no response. "Doesn't look very far down…" he spoke and grabbed a small rock from nearby. He tossed it down the hole, and it took only a moment before he heard the rock hit the ground. "I'll be back, King!" He pulled himself up, then hopped down the hole.

Inside, he found a rather large, empty room. It looked much like any ordinary cavern, except for one difference. On one of the walls was a massive stone, and upon the stone were markings similar to what had been on Zephos's monument. Link pulled out the Wind Waker and waved it along with the markings, and he heard the wind play along with his baton.

As he finished, Link began to feel an odd presence in the room. He quickly whirled around, and there, before him, he saw a strange sight. A girl was standing there, dressed in a purple robe with a golden crown, but she was no ordinary woman. She looked to be half fish, having a long fin that came off her head and down her back as if it was hair. Two more long fins then went down off her arms, and Link could make out a set of gills upon her neck. In her hand was a harp, which looked amazingly like Medli's.

"Hero of Time, I have waited for you," the woman spoke.

"Who…are you?" Link asked.

"My name is Laruto, and I am…or…was the Sage of Earth. My task was to pray to the Goddesses so that the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword would be kept in tact, but alas, Ganondorf returned and sent one of his minions to attack the temple. I tried to hold them off, but I did not have the power, and so, with the last of my strength, I separated my spirit from my body, and sent my instrument, this harp, off to my descendants.

"Oh, faithful hero, the world needs you once more. To restore the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword, you must awaken the next sage in line. The song upon this stone will awaken the next sage of Earth. You must find my descendant who wields my instrument and use the Wind Waker to play this song. Then you must bring them back here and together destroy the evil monster that destroyed me. Only then can my spirit pass on, and the next sage begin their duties."

"Then if this is done, the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword will return?"

"Only if the Sage of Wind still lives. Fado lives on Gust Isle, and as long as the Sage of Earth and the Sage of Wind stay within their temples and pray to the Goddesses, the Master Sword will retain its evil-repelling powers."

"I see, then I'll go bring back your descendant." Link looked at the harp she held for a moment. "You said your descendant would be carrying that exact harp?"

"Yes."

"Then I know where to go. How do I get out of here?"

"Step into the light, and its magic will take you out of here." The woman took a step back and seemed to fade away.

"All right, time to go." Link rushed back to the light of the hole and he felt magic swirl around him as he was lifted out of the hole. From there, he made his way back to King.

"What happened?" King asked.

"Laruto, the Sage of Earth, is dead. Ganondorf got to her. However, we can restore the Sage of Earth if we go back to Dragon Roost Island."

"Why there?"

"Her descendant is there…at least…that's the hope…" Link quickly hopped onto King and pulled the sail up. In an instant, they were off, sailing back to Dragon Roost Island.

* * *

Medli had her eyes closed as she gently strummed her harp. Her song was gentle and beautiful, and one listening to it would feel the sensation of floating on clouds. It was a song of love, a song of desire, and a song that asked for the one she loved to return to her.

As she finished her song, she opened her emerald eyes, which began to scan the shoreline of the island. "Link," she spoke in a quiet voice, "I hope you're okay…"

"Medli!" a voice shouted and Medli whirled around. There she found Komali, who slowly floated to the ground. He put his arms down and his wings shrank down to reveal his two regular arms and hands. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" Medli asked, faking a smile.

"I heard your song…it sounded…sad…"

"Well…" Medli turned and sighed. "I'm just worried about Link is all…"

Komali stared for a moment. If there was one person that always seemed to be on her mind, it was Link. "Don't worry about him, I'm sure he's fine. I mean, he has the most courage that I've ever seen from a person."

"Courage…but not necessarily power…what if he's not strong enough to do something? What if…" Tears began to slowly roll down Medli's cheeks.

Komali sighed. What was this feeling he felt? It felt like hatred, but that wasn't possible at all. He liked Link a lot, after all, it was Link who gave him his courage. Why would he hate him? Unless…it wasn't hatred, but something similar, perhaps that was it? But what else could it be? No…it couldn't have been jealousy…could it? Was he jealous that Medli seemed to love Link more then him? Yes, that had to be it. There was no other explanation. He was jealous, and he was determined to win Medli over.

"Don't worry, Medli," Komali finally spoke after a moment and wrapped his arms around her. "Come on, Link's fine. He has all the courage in the world, and with courage, you can do anything!"

Medli looked up at Komali, tears still rolling down her cheek as a smile appeared on her face. "You…really think so?"

"Absolutely! That's the lesson Link taught me. With courage, you can do anything!"

Medli wrapped her arms around Komali, burying her face in his chest. "Then…you think he's still okay?"

"Definitely, he's perfectly fine." Komali turned to look out to the Great Sea for a moment. (Damn it, Link, you better make sure you're still alive out there,) Komali thought. (It's one thing for you to steal Medli's love from me. It's another thing if you do that, then die on her!) He turned back to Medli. "Tell you what, stay here, I'm going to get you something really special, ok?"

"Something special?" Medli asked.

Komali nodded with a wink. "Just wait here, okay?"

"Okay…" Medli spoke, then watched Komali extend his wings and take to the air. "I wonder what he means by 'something special'?"

"Medli!" a second voice shouted and Medli swore her heart skipped a beat. She quickly whirled around, hoping to the Goddesses that the voice she had heard wasn't her imagination. "Medli!" the voice shouted once more, and she quickly stepped to the railing and looked down. Tears formed in her eyes as a bright smile appeared on her face. In an instant, she jumped over the railing and extended her wings, letting herself sail down to the bottom of the mountain that formed the island. There, she put away her wings and extended her arms as she let herself drop directly on top of none other then Link.

"Link! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" Medli shouted as her arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a warm embrace.

Link blushed at this, unsure of how to truly react. He had never had a girl act this way to him before. "H-hi, Medli," he spoke.

"Oh, I was so worried about you!" Medli let go of Link and smiled warmly. "Komali told me you went to the Tower of the Gods, but then no one could find you after that!"

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…sorry about that…I've been busy…" He chuckled nervously.

"We have to take you to the Chieftain at once so he can see you're okay as well! Oh! Komali would probably want to see you as well! Although, he was always certain you were perfectly fine."

"Thanks, Medli, but I'm really not here for pleasantries…"

"Oh?" Medli cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"I'm looking for someone. Someone on this island should have…" Link titled his head a little. "Hang on, turn around a second." Medli blinked out of curiosity, then did as she was told. "Ha! I was right!"

"What is it?"

"Your harp! It's exactly the one I was looking for!"

"My harp?" Medli grabbed her harp off the strap on her back, then turned to look at Link. "Why were you looking for my harp?"

Link smirked and whipped out the Wind Waker. "I need you to follow along with me on your harp, ok?"

"Oh, you're going to conduct me?" Link nodded at Medli's question. "Ok, then go ahead." Link rose his hands and closed his eyes. He let the memory of the song from the Earth Temple flow through his mind. His hands began to gently sway through the air, and Medli watched his movements. Her hands gently glided across the harp strings as she played the notes Link conducted and as she did, she felt as if there was someone else playing with her.

Suddenly, Medli's eyes closed and she fell backward and Link rushed forward and grabbed her. Link could only stare now, wondering what had happened. Deep in Medli's mind, she found herself still playing the harp, her eyes closed, not noticing that the world around her was now a dark void. In front of her stood Laruto, whose eyes were also closed, playing upon the same harp Medli had in her hand.

"These notes," Medli spoke, her eyes still closed, and her hands still strumming the harp in her hand. "They're…like memories…"

"Yes, memories of another time," Laruto spoke as she too continued to play. "Remember now who you are. Remember your past, and remember what you must do."

"Yes, the memories of the past…I know who I am now." Medli opened her eyes as she slowly put her hands down. "You're…"

"A memory now," Laruto spoke and smiled as too opened her eyes, but her fingers never left her harp. "Awaken now, Medli, Sage of Earth."

Suddenly, Medli jolted awake, her eyes opening suddenly as she sat up quickly. The world had returned, and Link was still there behind her. "I know now…those notes…they awakened me…I'm the Sage of Earth…" She looked to Link. "Link, you must take me to the Earth Temple. Something terrible has happened there to the previous sage."

Link nodded. "That's why I came here. Laruto told me I needed to find you. I need to take you to the Earth Temple and defeat the evil beast who killed Laruto so that we can awaken the sleeping power of the Master Sword."

"That's let's go." Link nodded in response to Medli and the two stood to their feet. "Do me a favor, though, Link?"

"What's that?"

"Don't tell Komali…I want him to remember me as Valoo's attendant…this…he doesn't need to know…I don't want him to worry…"

Link smiled. "That's fine." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you love him?" he asked and Medli blushed.

"Wh-what kind of question is that?"

"Well, that's just the kind of thing someone in love would say. You don't want the person you love to worry about them."

"Th-that's…true…" Medli looked down.

"Then, do you love him?"

Medli turned away, trying to find an answer for the question. She wanted to say yes, to be true to her feelings. The truth was, she had always loved Komali. However, there was another feeling in her heart now, one for Link. Was it love as well? Which did she love more? "I…" she started, then stopped.

Link chuckled. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me…but you know, I'm pretty sure Komali likes you a lot."

Medli blushed a deeper red. "I love you!" she suddenly blurted out, which only caused her face to turn an even deeper shade of crimson. Link, too, was stunned at this. His face turned quite red, and he looked away. He wasn't sure how to respond to those words. Noticing Link's silence, tears appeared in Medli's eyes. "I…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said anything…"

"N-no, it's okay," Link spoke. "To be honest…I…really like you, too."

"R-really?" Medli asked as she whirled around.

Link nodded, rubbing his neck nervously. "Yeah, I do."

Medli smiled, then grew close to Link. She gently kissed him on the cheek, which made him turn a deep shade of crimson. "W-we should get going now…"

"Right." Quickly, Link hopped onto King, and Medli followed along after. Link quickly took the rudder as Medli sat herself on the edge of the boat. Link waved the Wind Waker to make the wind move back towards Stonewatcher Isle, and he quickly pulled the sail up. The wind caught on the sail, and they were off to the Earth Temple.

* * *

Komali slowly glided down to where Medli had been when he left her. In his hand was a beautiful orange and yellow flower. "Medli!" he spoke out. He waited a moment, but he noticed there was no response. He stepped forward, his eyes scanning the area around him. "Medli?"

"What's wrong, Komali?" Quill asked as he stepped onto the platform.

"Have you seen Medli? She was just here a moment ago."

"I saw her just a moment ago, too. She jumped down to meet with Link."

"Link was here?" Komali shouted.

"Yes, just a moment ago. Medli left with him. I'm not sure where they went."

Komali growled and turned. "Link…" his eyes turned off to the Great Sea. One could swear his eyes turned green with jealousy as he did. "Taken her love…now her!" Komali growled and turned. "I'll give you this one, Link. I owe you anyway…just make sure she stays safe…" He then walked off, heading deep into the roost.

* * *

The sun slowly began to set in the eastern sky as King slowed, setting down upon the edge of Stonewatcher Isle. The sail had been a fairly silent one, and neither Link nor Medli had spoken much at all the entire trip. Link slowly stepped out of the boat, then turned and reached his hand out to Medli, who blushed a little. She took his hand and stepped out of the boat, and the two turned to the island. "So, this is it, huh?" Medli asked.

"Yeah, there's a hole just north of here," Link spoke. "Once we go down that, we'll be in the temple."

Medli nodded. "Then we should go."

"Right." Link and Medli made their way forward to the hole. "I'll go first, then I can catch you."

Medli blushed. "No way!" she almost shouted, which made Link jump a little. "I'm going to go first."

"Why?" Medli turned a deeper shade of red and looked down, pushing her hands down her dress, as if she was trying to make a point. Link stared for a moment before his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "O-oh, right, you have a dress on." Medli nodded in response. "Well, then, yeah, you can go first."

Medli made her way to the hole, pushed against her dress, then jumped down. A moment later, and Link followed behind her. "Now what?" Medli asked as she looked around.

"I'm not sure…" Link sighed and walked towards the stone slab. "Perhaps…we need to do something here?"

"But what?"

Link looked over the stone slab for a moment, then pulled out the Wind Waker. "We could try that song." Medli nodded in agreement, then pulled out her harp. Link waved the Wind Waker once more and Medli followed along. As the song finished, they heard a loud rumbling noise, and as they turned, the stone slab rendered itself in two, then crumbled to dust. Light and the smell of air that had been sealed up for hundreds of years immediately flooded into the cavern.

Link and Medli rose their hands to cover their eyes a moment while their eyes adjusted to the new light. When they did, they found themselves in a huge, hallway. The walls were lined with torches, and between each torch was, what appeared to be, a coffin of some sort, stood up straight against the wall. Link immediately drew the Master Sword. "Wait here, I'll check it out," he spoke and Medli nodded.

Slowly, Link stepped forward, making his way forward through the hallway. Medli stood back, watching and wondering what would happen. The air was thick with nervousness and fear as Link watched each coffin, as if expecting something to jump out from each one at any moment. He was right.

Suddenly, one of the coffin cases burst apart and Link heard a loud screech. His muscles expanded and tightened, freezing him in place, leaving him unable to move. From the dust that still floated around the coffin came a sickly creature. Its skin seemed rotted, and bits of flesh hung from its exposed bones. A sickening squishing noise could be heard as its rotting feet touched the ground, and with each movement the creaking of aged bones could be heard. Its eyes began to glow a deep blood red and its mouth opened wide. It let out a horrible screech which sounded the same as the one before, which again froze Link's muscles.

"Link!" Medli shouted.

"I…can't move!" Link shouted, trying to turn. The horrendous undead creature gripped its slimy, rotted hands onto Link's tunic and its mouth opened wide once more. Suddenly, it roared loudly, flinging its body back and freezing it in place. Medli now had her harp outstretched and the golden surface of the harp had caught upon a ray of light and reflected it at the beast.

Link felt his muscles relax, and he quickly whirled around. He swung his sword, chopping the creature's head off. It seemed, though, that the attack had done nothing to stop the creature as it slowly began to move once more. Quickly, Medli reflected the light back at the creature, and its body flailed around once more before freezing in place. Quickly, Link drew an arrow and unleashed the power of fire into it. He let the arrow fly, and the creature roared as its body burned to ash.

With a second fire arrow, he burned the creature's head, then gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Medli," he spoke, smiling.

Medli smiled back. "Thanks, but I just wanted to help out, and the only think that came to mind was reflecting light at it."

"Well, it worked, so we'll have to keep it in mind."

Medli nodded. "Yeah."

Link turned, staring at the remaining coffins the lied upon the walls. "There's probably more of those."

"Let's be careful, then." Link and Medli began to walk forward once more, examining each one of the coffins as they did. The majority of them seemed pretty well sealed, but Link wasn't about to let himself be fooled. He knew any one of them could open at any time, and from it, a terrible undead creature would be unleashed.

"Link!" Medli shouted and pointed forward. "What is that?"

Link whirled around to look forward to see slime oozing forward towards them. The slime was black in color, and the way it moved showed it was alive. "Chuchu," Link spoke, "but some kind of black variety." Link drew his arrows again, unleashing the power of fire into it once more, then launching it forward. It was as if the slime had separated apart for no other purpose then to avoid the arrow. "Damn it!" he shouted and growled, stepping back. "It's no good, I can't hurt it."

"Then what do we do?" Medli asked.

"I don't know…" Link turned, and it was then something caught his eye. The coffin to his left had a strange golden inscription upon it, and Link quickly examined it. "'Here lies the Great Knight of Hyrule, Raven,'" Link read. "'May he rest forever with the ancient power he held.'" Link looked out to the Chuchu that was oozing forward, then back at the coffin. "Sorry…" he spoke before kicking the coffin and busting the cover apart. In an instant, the skeletal remains of the long dead knight fell from the coffin, and it was there that Link saw a shield resting in his skeletal hands.

The shield looked as if it was made of silver, but it had not decayed over the centuries, giving the thought it could have been magical in nature. The front of the shield bore the symbol of the Triforce with a phoenix rising up beneath it. Link took no time to ponder, and he snatched the shield up. He then saw it, directly behind the Chuchu, a ray of light was shining down. Quickly he unleashed a fire arrow into the center of the slime, and when it separated, he quickly jumped to where the arrow was, then jumped again, landing behind the slime.

The Chuchu gave a strange noise, which Link could only guess must have been a roar of some sort. It stopped in its tracks, then seemed to reverse, moving towards him once again. Link quickly jumped into the light, and when he did, his shield reflected it outwards. He aimed the light at the slime and it began to flail around for a moment before it froze in place, soon becoming encased in stone. "Wow…did that…get it?" Medli asked as she stared.

"Medli! Hurry this way!" Link shouted.

"Right!" Medli quickly rushed forward, and the two quickly rushed down the hall even further until they came to a massive door at the hand of the hallway. Link quickly pulled the door open and Medli rushed forward, followed closely by Link. The two now found themselves in a large, empty room. In the center lied the mark of the Triforce, and to the side lied the remains of someone, now long dead. Link rushed to the remains, noticing the red robe was exactly like the spirit of Laruto had worn.

"These are Laruto's remains…" Link spoke, then stood to his feet. "Which means…"

"Link!" Medli shouted and Link whirled around to find himself staring a giant ghost in the face. The beast was at least fifteen feet in height, and its body was quite round. A mask rested upon its face, and in one hand was a large lantern, in the other was Medli.

"Medli!"

The ghost laughed. "I am Jalhalla, Sealer of the Earth Sage!" the ghost shouted. "I will destroy you in the name of Master Ganondorf, and then none shall oppose him!"

"I think not." Link quickly drew the Master Sword and gripped his new shield tight. "Drop the girl and fight me!"

Jalhalla laughed. "You honestly think you can defeat me? I am the Master of Poes, Lord of the Dead! Nothing can stand against my power!"

"Well, I guess I'm nothing then!" Link rushed forward and swung his sword, but the attack just went right through Jalhalla's body. "What the hell?"

Jalhalla laughed. "Without the Master Sword's power to repel evil, there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Link bit his lip and growled. He had to do something, and quickly, but he didn't have anything that could hurt the ghost. Jalhalla smirked and slowly moved forward, hovering closer to Link, which made Link slowly step back. Soon, Link found himself stepping under a ray of light from above, which immediately reflected off of his readied shield. Jalhalla roared loudly, as if in pain from the light, and began to squirm. His form began to crack, and after a moment, his body shattered apart.

Medli then fell and Link quickly jumped forward and catched her in his arms. "Thank you, Link," she spoke and kissed him.

"No problem, but I don't think Jalhalla is defeated yet…"

"Why do you say that?"

"It was too easy…"

Suddenly, there was a loud roar as Jalhalla reformed before Link once more. "That fucking hurt!" he shouted. "Now you've made me angry! Prepare to die!" Jalhalla breathed in and his body expanded greatly.

"Move!" Link shouted and pushed Medli away before quickly backflipping, just barely avoiding being caught in a blast of fire.

"Light hurt it last time, let's try again!" Medli shouted and jumped into a ray of light. She turned her harp towards Jalhalla, and the light reflected off of it, striking the creature in the back. He roared and squirmed as his form began to crack once more. Quickly, Link jumped forward, swinging his sword through the cracking form, hoping to do something, but it did nothing.

As his feet landed on the other side, Link whirled around and watched as Jalhalla's form broke apart once more, but this time, it caused a rather strange reaction. The pieces of his form flew off in several directions, each forming into a much smaller version of the large ghost. Quickly, Link rushed forward and brought his sword through one of the ghosts, and it roared as the sword came in contact with the mask it wore.

The sword cut cleanly through the mask the ghost wore, and its form dissipated in an instant. "The mask!" Link spoke and turned to the other ghosts. All of them had masks on their faces. Quickly, he rushed through the ranks of the ghosts, swinging his sword left and right as he cut apart the masks of the smaller ghosts. Noticing their numbers decreasing quickly, they quickly jumped back at each other, reforming the large ghost once more, but smaller this time.

"The mask," Link spoke as he noticed that the larger ghost also had a mask upon his face. "Hit it with light again, Medli!" Medli did as she was told and reflected the light off of her harp once more, striking Jalhalla with it once more. He roared loudly and Link rushed forward, jumping into the air. "Take this!" he shouted and brought his sword down the center of the mask. Jalhalla roared loudly, gripping the mask on his face as it slowly cracked outward.

Link quickly backflipped next to Medli and stared in amazement as the creature roared in pain. After a moment, the mask crumbled to dust, and the ghost's massive form seemed to dissipate into nothing. "Did we…kill him?" Medli asked. She then turned as she noticed the Triforce symbol in the center of the room was beginning to glow. There, above the symbol, she saw Laruto's spirit manifest.

"Thank you, brave hero," Laruto spoke. "Thanks to you, the monster is destroyed, and I can finally rest in peace. Descendant of mine, it is time for you to take the mantle of the Sage of Earth. Now, place the Master Sword upon the Triforce, and together, with the Waker of Winds, awaken the Master Sword's power to repel evil."

Link stepped forward and placed the Master Sword upon the Triforce symbol and it began to glow and float into the air. The hilt of the blade slowly moved upward, pointing towards the ceiling, while the blade pointed down at the floor. "Here we go," Link spoke. He pulled out the Wind Waker and turned to Medli, who pulled her harp close.

Link closed his eyes and began to gently wave his arms through the air and the winds within the temple seemed to play along with his motions. Medli then began to follow along, strumming her harp gently with each movement. The song seemed to carry throughout the temple, and it was as if the entire temple itself began to play and sing along with Medli's harp.

The Master Sword's glow grew every brighter and it began to shake violently as the song continued to play. The sides of the hilt seemed to release from each other and formed into a W shape. As the song finished, the Master Sword gently turned so it lied flat in the air, then floated gently into Link's hands. "Did we do it?" Medli asked.

"Not quite," a voice spoke and Link jumped. He quickly pulled out the stone around his neck and looked at it.

"King?" Link asked.

"The sword has regained some of its power," King spoke through the stone, "but it still lacks its full strength. I fear the Sage of Wind must be dead as well, then."

"Then we need to go to Gust Isle and check."

"I'll come to!" Medli spoke up.

"No!" King protested. "If you leave here, the Master Sword's power will fail. You must remain here and pray to the Goddesses, at least until the Master Sword's power has been restored."

"Understood, then I'll remain here." Medli turned to Link and wrapped her arms around him. "Be careful."

"I will be." Link grew close to Medli and the two soon found their lips touching. Passion flared through their senses, and they wished for nothing more then to stay like this forever.

"I love you, Link," Medli spoke as they stopped kissing for a moment.

"I love you, too." Medli turned a deep shade of crimson as her hands moved down and began to fiddle with his belt. It took only a moment for her to unclasp the belt, then toss it aside. Her hands then found themselves gripping the bottom of Link's tunics, which she carefully pulled up. "Wait…" Link spoke when she had almost pulled the tunic off. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"We know not what could come tomorrow. If something should happen, and one of us should fall after today, I want there to be no regrets." Medli pulled Link's tunics off, tossing them to the ground.

"Then, if that's what you want, then okay." Link's hands slowly moved down Medli's dress, gripping the bottom of her dress and pulling it up over her head. The two then grew close once more and entered into a deep and passionate kiss. What followed next was a moment between them as they gave themselves up to each other in love.

* * *

**A/N: Just so people don't have to stop and ask...the answer is, yes...they do have sex...due to the almost perfect human anatomy the Rito have, I am making the assumption that Rito can have sex like every normal human. So, Link and Medli are seen here, in the Earth Temple, having sex at the end. Medli+Link is my guilty pleasure, and if you have any hate for it, PLEASE do not flame here. This is my own personal opinion. As one of the best stamps on Deviantart states "If you don't like, then don't look." So, if you don't like MedlixLink, then please, just leave it be.**


	18. The Sage of Wind

**Chapter 18: The Sage of Wind**

"We're here, Gust Isle," King spoke as he stared forward at the island in front of him. The island was pretty bare, having just a small patch of grass in the center of a small mountain that rose up all around it with a small opening that led out into the water. On the far end of the clearing was a large statue that looked similar to an octopus. The statue was cracked slightly and was pushing wind out rapidly, making it impossible to get close to it.

"This is where the Wind Temple is?" Link asked.

"Yes."

"All right." Link hopped out of King and stepped onto the land. He then sat down and pulled off his boots. From his pack he then produced to boots made of pure iron which he slipped on, then stood to his feet. The boots felt heavier then anything he had ever worn before, and he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to move in them. He fought to pull one of his legs up, barely managing to take a step. He then lifted his other leg, forcing it forward for a second step. Step after step, the crash of iron could be heard striking the ground as Link stepped into the gushing wind.

The iron boots held him steady, keeping him from being blown away by the wind. He pulled his hands up and grabbed his hat as he stepped further into the wind, fighting to make it through. Finally, he reached the statue and promptly grabbed hold of the statue and lifted with all of his might. The power bracelets he wore began to glow brightly and the statue broke free of the ground, and in an instant, the wind stopped.

Link then tossed the statue aside then plopped down on the ground, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breathe. It had been a lot of hard work to move in those boots, and lifting the statue hadn't been the easiest thing either. He promptly pulled off the iron boots, then slipped his regular boots back on once more.

"You did it, the door is open," King spoke. "Now, go find out what happened to the Sage of Wind."

Link nodded. "Right." He then turned and walked into the cavern entrance that had been behind the statue. There inside he found himself staring at another stone slab, much like the one he had seen in the Earth Temple. Link looked the slab over for a moment before he found a set of symbols, once again indicating the way to conduct the Wind Waker to play the song upon it. He pulled out the Wind Waker and followed along with the stone slab's markings.

The wind once again played along with Link's conducting, and it seemed the entire cavern was soon filled with the sounds of instruments playing the Wind God's Aria. As Link finished, the wind swirled around him, then formed into the spirit of a young boy who looked no older then ten. His hair was blonde and rather short, yet rather poofy similar to Link's. He wore a green tunic with a pair of tights along with a small belt around his waist and a hat that looked very much like Link's.

"Hello," the boy spoke, giving a bow. "I know I look like nothing more then a child to you, but please, hear me out. I am what once was the Kokiri Fado, as well as the Sage of Wind. My job was to keep the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword alive by praying to the Gods. However, the Great King of Evil, Ganondorf, unleashed a monster known as Molgera into my temple. It flooded the temple with sand, then promptly ate me. I have been here as a spirit ever since."

"That's terrible," Link spoke.

"Oh, Hero of Time, bring my descendant here so that he may take the mantle of the Sage of Wind. You will know this one when you see him carrying my cello." Fado produced a small brown cello from a pouch. "Conduct my descendant, make him play the Wind God's Aria, and allow the memories of his destiny to return to him and allow him to awaken as the Sage of Wind."

Link nodded. "I will, Fado." Fado faded away and Link turned and headed back to King.

"Well?" King asked.

"Fado is dead," Link spoke and sighed. "We need to find his descendant."

"Where do you believe his descendant is?"

"Fado said he was a Kokiri. I remember that the Great Deku Tree saying that the Korok were descended from the Kokiri. So, I have the feeling we will find his descendant in the Forest Haven." Link thought for a second. "Wait a minute! Makar!"

"Makar?"

Link nodded. "Makar had the same instrument as Fado, just like Medli had the same instrument as Laruto. I'll bet you anything that Makar is Fado's descendant."

"Then we must hurry. Zelda's-"

"Tetra!" Link interjected. "I don't care if Tetra is the re-incarnation of some princess named Zelda. Her name is Tetra."

"Very well. Tetra's safety depends on us returning to Hyrule quickly, and if we are to do that, we must have the Master Sword's power in order to gain the Triforce of Courage."

Link nodded. "Then let's get going to Forest Haven, then." Link quickly hopped onto King and the two of them set sail.

* * *

"Makar!" Link shouted as he stopped onto the island that was the Forest Haven. As he made his way along the path that led to the cavern entrance, he heard beautiful music playing. He turned his head, letting his ears catch upon the origin of the music, hoping to pinpoint where it was coming from. Slowly, he made his way towards the sound of the music, soon finding the music was coming from behind a small waterfall.

Link stepped into the river in front of him, then quickly pulled the Deku Leaf up to cover himself as he stepped under the waterfall. On the other side of the waterfall, he found a small cavern and on the opposite side of the cavern he saw Makar standing there, his eyes closed as he played upon the cello in his hands. "Makar!" Link spoke up, and Makar stopped playing and looked up.

"Oh, Link!" Makar spoke and waved. "How are you?"

"Great, Makar. Tell me, that cello, how long have you had it?"

"It's been in my family for generations, why do you ask?"

Link smirked. "Good, then I need you to do something." He pulled out the Wind Waker and held it forward.

"Oh, are you going to conduct me?" Makar asked and Link nodded. "I've never been conducted before. I hope I do okay." Link rose the Wind Waker and began to wave his hands and the Wind Waker and the wind began to play along with him. Makar watched his movements for a moment, then placed the bow of his cello against his instrument and began to play along with Link's movements. As he did, it was as if the world around him dissolved into nothingness and he was left standing there alone, but he did not care.

Suddenly, he felt a presence join him at his side, and Makar looked up to see Fado playing upon his cello. The two began to play a chorus together, and the music filled the darkness, filling it with light. After a time, Makar found the world returning to view and he stared forward. "I know now…" Makar spoke. "Link, I'm the Sage of Wind! I remember now! My destiny…it's to help keep the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword alive! We must hurry to the Wind Temple so that we can awaken the Master Sword's true power."

Link smiled. "All right, then let's go." Makar quickly hopped up onto Link's shoulder and the two rushed out of the cavern. They then hopped onto King and Makar quickly hopped onto King's head, setting himself between King's horns. "We ready?" Link asked.

"Ready!" Makar spoke.

"Aye, I'm always ready," King responded. With a pull of the sail and a wave from the Wind Waker, the wind began to blow towards Gust Isle once more.

"Then let's go!" The wind caught upon the sail and they were off, heading towards the Wind Temple.

* * *

"Here we go," Link spoke as King stopped next to Gust Isle. Link grabbed Makar and pulled him onto his shoulder, then hopped off onto the island. "The Wind Temple awaits us." Link walked forwards and entered the cavern once again. He set Makar down, then pulled out the Wind Waker. "Ready?"

Makar nodded and pulled out his cello. Link once again began to conduct the Wind God's Aria and Makar played along. The stone slab next to them began to shake and crack as the song played, and as it finished, the slab crumbled and Link and Makar turned to see the hole that lead down into the Wind Temple. The two stepped forward and hopped down the hole.

"So, this is the Wind Temple, huh?" Makar asked as he looked around. They had found themselves in a small, circular room.

"Yeah, this is it all right," Link spoke. "Come on, let's go." Link stepped forward and touched a door in front of him, which opened on its own. Makar quickly stepped through, followed by Link. In front of them now lied another circular room, but this one was considerably larger. Large stone faces lied around the room, along with a large, circular grate in the center of the room.

Link stepped forward onto the grate, and he heard a high pitched laugh. "Who are you to enter the Wind Temple?" the voice asked.

"I am Link, Hero of Time!" Link spoke out.

The voice laughed once more. "Really now? Well, then, this makes things interesting." Suddenly, a large orb of magic appeared above Link and he quickly jumped back. From the orb came a Darknut, suited in red armor with a cape on its back and two horns on its helmet. "Meet now the power of one of Ganon's mightiest warriors, the Mighty Darknut!"

The Darknut rose its hand, then turned, noticing there was no weapon in its hand. It snapped its fingers and a massive, two-handed, serrated blade appeared in its hand. In its other hand appeared a large, circular shield that had the symbol of a pig creature upon it. The high pitched voice laughed. "Have fun!"

"Not good…" Link drew the Master Sword and the Mirror Shield, readying himself for battle. The Darknut rose its massive sword and brought it down where Link stood and he quickly jumped to the side, then pulled himself into a roll. The move got him directly behind the Darknut, and as he got up, he spun, bringing his sword around in a circle, striking the Darknut in the back. The force from the hit knocked the Darknut forward a bit, but left it relatively unharmed.

The Darknut turned and Link bashed the Darknut in the head with his shield, which made the warrior stumble back. He then jumped over the warrior and brought his sword down, striking him directly in the back of the helmet, causing him to fall forward, and the helmet to fly off of his head.

The Darknut rose to its feet and turned and Link placed his sword back in his sheath, then placed his shield on his back. The Darknut stared at him oddly for a moment, then gripped his sword tight. He roared and rushed at Link and Link quickly grabbed the sword off his back, whirled around and brought the sword down against the breastplate of the Darknut. The sudden move caught the Darknut off guard and knocked him back. With a quick swing, Link sliced the Darknut's head off, and it collapsed to the ground.

In an instant, the Darknut's body vanished into smoke and Link wiped his face with his sleeve. "Is that the best you've got, Molgera?" Link called out.

The high pitched voice laughed. "You think I am Molgera?" the voice asked. "What a fool you are. No, I am not Molgera. I am Ganon's mightiest magician! I am Carock, Master of the Wizrobes!" Smoke rose up from the grate beneath Link's feet, and as it cleared, a large man with a bird head and a dark robe stood before him. Upon his head was a golden crown, signifying his leadership over similar creatures as himself.

"Then you're not Molgera…then who is Molgera?"

Carock laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Carock rose his hand and a staff appeared in it. "Now, prepare to meet your end!" He pointed the staff forward and a massive orb of magic appeared in front of him. From the orb came five creatures that looked exactly like Carock, but each had a cloak over their heads instead of the golden crown. "Now, Wizrobes! Destroy this…'Hero of Time'."

The wizrobes rose their hands and small wands appeared in them. They twirled the wands around for a moment, then pointed them forward, unleashing massive fireballs at Link and Makar.

"Shit!" Link shouted and quickly rose his shield to block the fireballs. "We have to move, let's go!" Link shouted and he grabbed Makar up and rushed forward.

"You won't get away from me," Carock spoke and snapped his fingers. At once the wizrobes vanished from sight. "Now the chase begins."

Link slammed the door behind him and gave a heavy sigh of relief. They were safe, or so he thought. "What's going on, Link?" Makar asked.

"We have bigger problems then I anticipated. Deep in this temple is a creature called Molgera, and he killed your ancestor, Fado. We have to kill him in order to free the temple's power, and put Fado to rest so you can awaken the power of the Master Sword. Unfortunately, it seems that Ganon left more then one of his big minions here. This Carock guy is not going to be easy, and we'll have to kill them both to win here."

"Then let's go back out there and face him!"

"But he can summon other monsters. There's no way we can get through that."

"We'll just have to try! There's no way we can just stay here!"

"I know…but we need a plan…there's no way we can-" Link's sentence was cut off when a wizrobe appeared out of nowhere. "Watch out!" Link grabbed Makar and quickly turned his back to the wizrobe. The wizrobe unleashed a fireball forward, but it simply struck Link's shield, knocking it away. Link then turned around and pointed his sword forward. "Zap Bolts!" he shouted and shot a bolt of energy from his sword, which struck the wizrobe and made it roar as its body dispersed into magic once more. "Damn, it's not safe here either."

"We won't be safe until we kill Carock," Makar spoke and Link sighed.

"I know…but how do we do such a thing?"

"What weapons do you have?"

"Just this sword and a bow."

"Then make Carock show himself, and while he's preparing a spell, hit him with the bow or even those Zap Bolts you just used."

"Wait, you're right. I can use these sword skills to fight Carock and his summons!" Link gripped the Master Sword tight. "All right, then, let's do this." He pulled the door open once more, and at once he was greeted with a flurry of fireballs. Link quickly rose the Mirror Shield up, managing to just barely block the fireballs. He then brought the Master Sword to his side and it began to glow. "Forest Beam!" he shouted and unleashed a beam of energy forward, which struck several of the wizrobes, destroying them in an instant.

"Why don't you show me your true power, Carock? Or can all you do is summon minions?" Link called out.

Carock growled. "You want power? I'll show you power!" Carock rose his staff into the air and Link smirked. He quickly brought his sword up above his head.

"Water Strike!" Link shouted as he slammed his sword into the ground, unleashing a huge blast of water which shot forward, knocking Carock back. "Now its time for…" Link brought his hands to his side and the Master Sword began to glow a dark glow. "Shadow Blade!" he shouted and brought his hands together. When he pulled them apart, a second blade made of darkness now sat in his right hand.

Link rushed forward, striking Carock in the beak with the Shadow Blade, then whirled around, bringing the Master Sword down, rendering Carock in half from head to toe. Carock roared loudly and his body began to glow before his form exploded outward, dispersing into magic. "Yes!" Link shouted and smiled. "I did it! I-" Link's sentence was cut off when the grate under his feet opened suddenly and he fell. He screamed loudly as he fell several feet, striking the ground hard. "Ow…" he groaned as he tried to pull himself up.

"Are you okay, Link?" Makar called from above.

"Yeah…I think so…I'm…" Link stopped his sentence when he realized what he had landed on. The ground beneath him wasn't just any ordinary ground, it was sand. "Oh shit…" he spoke and quickly jumped to his feet. He rushed forward just in time to barely avoid a large mouth pushing up out of the sand. From there, the rest of the creature's form slowly rose, revealing its long mouth which opened in four spots, showing massive fangs, along with a long body which was dark in color and much like a long worm.

The creature flew into the air, flapping two small wing-like limbs on the sides of its body, a massive eye that came from the center of the creature's mouth scanned the room, searching for Link. "This…must be Molgera…" Link spoke and gripped the Master Sword tight. "All right, I'm ready for this one…"

Molgera flew down, burrowing into the sand and Link gulped. He stood his ground, his eyes searching around the room for any sign of where Molgera might rise up from. His feet shifted as he slowly stepped around the room, keeping himself moving while trying to watch for any sign of movement in the sand.

Link felt the sand beneath his feet shake and he quickly jumped out of the way as Molgera broke the surface of the sand and flew into the air. Link growled, watching Molgera's movements in the air. Molgera then roared as it came down, opening its mouth wide to try and swallow Link whole. Link quickly jumped out of the way, then brought his sword around, striking Molgera's body, which only cause his sword to vibrate, as if it had struck metal.

"Okay, its body is indestructible it appears, I have to go for something else," Link spoke and growled. "But what?"

"Link!" Makar shouted and Link looked up. "I found this!" Makar tossed a strange blue, cylinder-like object down to Link, and he quickly grabbed it and looked at it. On the back was a hand grip, along with a trigger. The front of it was a silver point, looking much like an arrowhead. Link could see a couple of small gears, which he guessed spun and launched the arrowhead forward, and upon seeing this, a memory of the past returned to him.

"A hookshot!" Link spoke as the memory ended. He felt the ground shake again and Link jumped away as Molgera once again broke the surface of the sand. Link readied the hookshot in his right hand and aimed up at Molgera. As the eye turned to him, he hit the trigger, causing the arrowhead to shoot forward, revealing it was connected to a long chain. The arrowhead dug in deep into Molgera's eye and it roared loudly. Quickly, Link flipped the trigger once more, and the Hookshot began to retract, pulling on the creature's eye.

A moment later, and the creature's eye was ripped from its mouth and the beast flailed around. Link quickly pulled a second button on the hookshot, and the hookshot fired the eye away. He then took aim once more, firing the hookshot into the creature's mouth where it dug in deep. Link then flipped the trigger once more and the hookshot began to retract once more, pulling on the creature's mouth and pulling it to the ground.

Quickly, Link rushed forward and drove the Master Sword into the creature's mouth, and the two stood in position, neither moving for a minute. Finally, Link whirled his sword around, slicing the creature's mouth in half and sending blood gushing around the room. Molgera roared in pain and its body seemed to slowly harden. A moment later, its body broke apart into sand, and it was as if the sand in the room then evaporated like water, leaving a large empty room with the Triforce symbol lying in the center of the room.

"I…I did it…" Link gave a heavy sigh of relief and let himself plop back onto his butt. "I beat him…I beat Molgera…"

Makar quickly hopped down next to Link. "Yay! You won!" he shouted.

"Now we just have to awaken the power of the Master Sword."

Makar nodded. "Then let's do it."

Link nodded and stood to his feet. He set the Master Sword into the center of the Triforce symbol which was now glowing brightly. The Master Sword then rose up, floating with its blade down towards the ground once more. Link pulled out the Wind Waker and Makar pulled out his cello. Link began to conduct with the Wind Waker, and Makar followed along. As the two played, it was as if the Wind Temple itself began to play along with them as the sound of a million instruments playing became heard.

The Master Sword began to shake as the song played more and energy began to pour into the blade. As the song ended, there was a large flash of light and the Master Sword began to glow with power. The jewel between the blade and the hilt began to glow a golden color, and the sword itself seemed to have a light blue glow that covered the blade. The Master Sword's power had now become fully awakened.

Link gripped the Master Sword, and he felt a surge of energy run through him as memories from the past flowed through his mind. Memories of wielding the blade, and memories of defeating a massive pig monster with the sword. He then remembered the last words an ancient enemy had shouted as he was sealed away. "Curse you, Zelda! Curse you, Link! Curse you, sages! One day, when this seal is broken, I will exterminate your descendants! This I pledge as long as the Triforce of Power is within my hand!"

The memories faded and Link found himself returned to reality. "The Master Sword's power is finally restored," he heard a voice speak and he whirled around. In front of him was Medli, but in a ghostly form.

"Medli?"

Medli smiled. "I am projecting an image of myself to the Wind Temple. Everything is still fine here in the Earth Temple."

Link smiled. "That's good, you had me worried a moment."

Medli giggled. "There is still one more task you must do before you will hold the true power of the ancient hero, and thus stop Ganon."

"What is that?"

"On Outset Island, the Triforce of Courage awaits you. You will find the Triforce of Courage lying there in what is known as the Savage Labyrinth. It is a Trial of Courage, and if you succeed, the Triforce of Courage is your prize. Fail, and only death will await you."

"That sounds really pleasant…" Link spoke sarcastically.

"You must go now, Link. Go to Outset and take the trial. Succeed and claim the Triforce so you can return to Tetra and stop Ganon."

"Wait, how do you know about all of that?"

"I have seen it. While I was here, the Goddesses granted me visions of what you've been doing, and what you must do."

"I see, then thank you, Medli." Link gave a bow and Medli smiled.

"Go, Hero."

"I love you!"

"I love you, too, Link." Medli's image then vanished and Link turned to Makar. "I guess I'm off then."

"Be careful, Link," Makar spoke. "And good luck."

"Thank you." With that, Link headed off. The journey to Outset was now beginning, and the dangers of the Savage Labyrinth were all that awaited him. This would be the final leg of his adventure, but he did not know the dangers that lied in wait for him, not only in the Savage Labyrinth, but deep in Hyrule itself.


	19. The Savage Labyrinth

**Chapter 19: The Savage Labyrinth**

"This is it, Outset Island," Link spoke as he stared forward at the island that was growing every closer. "I haven't been here since we got the pearl from Jabun…"

"Yes…and again, like last time, we are not here for pleasantries," King spoke. "The fate of the world rests on you completing this…'Savage Labyrinth' and collecting the Triforce Shards within."

"But Ganon hasn't been seen since the attack on the Forsaken Fortress. What if he's dead?"

"No…I doubt that Ganon is gone. He is probably just lurking somewhere…waiting…only the power of the Master Sword can stop him…Valoo's flames would have done nothing to him."

"I see…" Link sighed.

"Regardless, the Princess is still sleeping in Ancient Hyrule. If we are to awaken her, we will need the Triforce of Courage."

Link nodded. "Then we have no real choice, do we? Any idea where the Labyrinth is? I've lived on this island for sixteen years and I've never found it…"

"No, but odds are, it will be in a place you would have never been to."

Link thought for a moment. "The west side of the island…there's a ledge…I've never been up there before…" He pulled his hookshot out and looked at it for a moment, then pulled on the sail to lower it as they reached the island. "Well, here we go, I suppose."

"Be careful, Link."

"I will be." Link turned to the island and stepped off of King and onto the island. He then made his way forward towards the west side of the island. He gripped the hookshot tight and looked up to the top of the ledge where he could see a tree peaking out from the top of the ledge. He rose his arm up, pulling on the switch to set the hookshot, then unleashing it, causing the hookshot to fire forward and connect to the tree.

With a flick of a switch, the hookshot began to retract, pulling Link along with it until it reached the tree. A quick flick of the last switch, and the hookshot let go of the tree, letting him drop to the ground below. It was there he saw it, a massive stone that looked much like the stone on Stonewatcher Island. It blocked a path into the island, so Link took hold of it and began to pull upon the rock.

Link's power bracelets began to glow brightly, and he lifted the massive rock into the air, revealing a small cavern entrance in the side of the island. Link quickly tossed the rock away, then drew the Master Sword and pulled the Mirror Shield onto his arm for defense. He stepped forward into the dark cavern.

* * *

"Master Ganondorf, we have found her at last," a darknut spoke as he stabbed his sword into the ground, kneeling before his master who sat upon a dark throne.

Ganondorf smirked. "And where is she?"

"Hyrule Castle, Your Majesty. She is hidden beneath the Hero's Statue."

"And what of the boy?"

"Gone, sir. She is the only one there…"

"Then the boy and the fool King believe that she is safe." An evil grin crossed Ganondorf's face. "Then let us go…extract her."

* * *

"Welcome, bold adventurer, to the Savage Labyrinth," an earthen voice spoke, and Link immediately recognized it as Farore's. "You have entered this terrible cavern in search of a great power, but you will not find what you seek in this place. Unless, that is, you can pass the trial."

"Great Goddess Farore of Ancient Hyrule!" Link spoke up. "I will welcome your trial, and I shall pass it at any cost! I must have the Triforce of Courage to save Tetra, and also this world."

"Then you will enter the Trial of Courage? You will risk your life for a mere hope of saving your world?"

"I will!"

"Then step forth into the light, and prepare, your courage shall be tested." There was then a green ray of light that came down from the top of the cavern. Link stepped forward, stopping at the edge of the light. This was it, the Point of No Return. If he took so much as a single step, he would be taken into the trial. This was his last chance to turn back, and his mind raced while his heart beat fast. Fear gripped him, and he closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. He would not falter here. It didn't matter how afraid he was, for true courage was not the absence of fear, but the ability to push past it and to do what was right. He stepped into the light.

* * *

Link felt the sensation of going totally numb. Sounds vanished from his ears, darkness covered his vision, the feeling of the ground beneath his feet vanished as he felt himself loose all sense of touch, and he felt as if his nose had suddenly became clogged, making it impossible to smell, even the taste of the air vanished from his tongue. He felt as if he had lost all of his senses, as if he had died.

But no, this couldn't have been the feeling of death. His senses were gone, but he knew he was still breathing and that his blood was still flowing through his veins. He fought to stay calm, his mind racing with all manner of thoughts of what could be going on to him.

Suddenly, he felt a striking pain as if he had slammed into the ground, back first. It was then that the smell of bottled air arrived in his nose, and he coughed, tasting the dust around him. His ears rang loudly as his sense of hearing returned with a passion, as if threatening to deafen him. Suddenly, sight returned to his eyes and he found himself staring up at a dark cavern ceiling.

Slowly, Link sat himself up, and as he did, his eyes scanned the room he was in. The room was a rather simple cavern, having two torches that lit the center of the room, along with torches along the cavern edges. As he stood to his feet, he heard the sound of wings flapping, and he quickly reached back and gripped the hilt of the Master Sword. He guessed it had been resheathed when he stepped into the light, but in either case, it didn't matter to him how it got there, just that it was there.

Quickly, he drew the Master Sword and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes scanned the ceiling until they happened across the source of the sound of wings - a large group of Keese sleeping on the ceiling. "Keese…" Link spoke and looked forward. "So…what am I here to do?"

Suddenly, the Keese spread their wings and Link looked up at the ceiling. They detached themselves from the ceiling of the cavern and swooped down, screeching loudly. Quickly, Link jumped out of the way, then brought his sword down to his side. "Forest Beam!" he shouted as his sword began to glow a green color. He then unleashed a large beam forward from his sword which destroyed a good majority of the Keese. He then rushed forward, swinging is sword into the middle of the Keese, which he then followed up with a quick spin, which took out the leftovers.

"That was easy enough," Link spoke as he turned. The ground shook and Link felt himself fall suddenly, causing him to scream for a moment before his feet landed softly on ground once more. He looked forward and his eyes caught upon several small creatures with small horns and a pitchfork in their hands. "Miniblins…" Link spoke and gripped the Master Sword.

The first Miniblin hopped forward, readying its pitchfork. Link swung his sword, striking the pitchfork first, which he then followed by a quick spin, slicing the creature in half. At once, the rest hopped forward as if to charge. Link rose his sword and it began to glow with blue fire. "KaiTenGiri!" he shouted and swirled around, unleashing the fire outward. The flames licked the Miniblins and they screeched as they felt the flames cut through their bodies like knives.

"This isn't so ha-" Suddenly, the ground opened beneath Link once more, causing him to scream as he fell once more, only to land softly upon the ground once again. "Bokoblins now, huh?" Link asked as he stared at a group of four Bokoblins standing on the other side of the cavern. The Bokoblins quickly readied their swords and Link stepped back into a defensive stance.

"Die!" one of the Bokoblins shouted and rushed forward. It quickly swung its sword down and Link swung his shield, striking the Bokoblin's sword and knocking him back. With a quick swing, the Bokoblin's head was sundered from its body. The other three Bokoblins readied themselves and Link slowly stepped forward, his shield at the ready in front of him.

The Bokoblins carefully stepped forward, branching off and circling around Link. They laughed as they gripped their swords tight and Link stared each one down. They roared loudly and rushed forward and Link quickly jumped to the side and rolled, pulling himself up just as the Bokoblins slammed into one another, their swords each sticking the next.

"This hasn't been too bad so-" Link's sentence was cut off as the ground opened up beneath him once again and he fell, landing safely once again. This time, however, the room seemed completely void of enemies. Link gripped his sword tight, his eyes scanning each inch of the room around him. A moment later and the sound of oozing could be heard and Link turned his head slightly to look behind him.

"Chuchu," Link spoke before quickly whirling around, only to find a massive red blob now in front of him. He quickly flipped backwards as the Chuchu slammed down into the ground, right where he had been. "Now what do I do?" he asked as he stared at the blob in front of him. He stepped back a bit as the slime slowly oozed forward towards him.

"Magic…" Link spoke. He held his hand forward as a memory flooded his mind. A memory of flames that poured out around him. Quickly, he brought his hand to his chest, closing his eyes. "Dovol ke Din! Dovol ke Ubela! Chiil nah akahl!" Link shouted as he shoved his hand into the ground. A bright red orb appeared in his other hand, and he quickly cast it to the ground. Immediately, fire erupted outward in all directions and the Chuchu gave a screech as the flames licked its body.

Link then drew his sword and aimed it forward. "Zap Bolts!" he shouted and unleashed a beam of energy forward from his sword which struck the Chuchu. The creature screeched again as its body began to glow brightly. A moment later, the magic keeping it alive shattered and its body collapsed into a pool of slime. "Wow…that…was a bit dangero-" Once again, Link fell through the floor.

"Goddesses, I wish that would stop!" Link spoke as he stared forward. This room was darker then the others, having only a single torch in the center of the room. The only other light was the light coming off of four small centipede-like creatures whose bodies seemed to be made of fire. "Magtails…" Link spoke and sighed. "Hate these things…" He gripped his sword tight, readying himself for battle.

Link's eyes focused on the movement of the magtails around him. As they grew closer, Link pulled his knees down, readying himself to attack. Suddenly, one of them pulled itself up, its eyes focusing directly upon Link. It roared and the pincers on its mouth opened. It rushed forward and Link quickly jumped up, bringing his sword down into the creature's head. It squirmed at first, then dissipated into magic.

Link quickly whirled around only to have one of the magtails jump at him. He quickly, pulled his shield up, causing the magtail to strike the shield head-on. Quickly, while it was still in a state of disarray, Link cut its head off. He then turned to the other two, which were pulling themselves up, readying themselves to strike. Quickly, Link jumped back, barely avoiding being struck by their pincers. In a quick move, he then drove his sword into the head of one.

The last one roared and Link gripped the Master Sword as he waited for his chance to strike. It pulled itself up once again and its pincers opened. At that moment, Link drove his sword directly between the creature's pincers and into its head. The creature growled for a moment, then dispersed into magic. Link gave a sigh of relief, only to have the ground open under him once more.

* * *

"Storm the castle!" Ganondorf shouted as he stood upon a throne that was being held up by four Stalfos.

"As you wish, Your Majesty!" one of the wizrobes spoke. "First wave, go!" At once, a group of Bokoblins and Moblins rushed forward towards Hyrule Castle that lied before them. They roared as they ran, but their efforts were fruitless as they seemed to strike a barrier between them and the castle. The barrier rippled as they struck it, causing them to be pushed back or sent flying off the bridge that connected the land to the castle.

Ganondorf growled. "The barrier is still intact," he spoke and slammed his fist into his throne.

"What should we do, sir?" the wizrobe asked as he turned to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf smirked evilly. "Nothing, wait here." He snapped his fingers and the Stalfos set the throne upon the ground. He then stood to his feet and walked forward towards the barrier.

* * *

Link growled as he stared forward at two Moblins that now stood before him. "Bring it on!" he shouted and the Moblins rushed at him. Link quickly swung his sword upward and the Moblin blocked with his spear. The other Moblin slowly made its way around Link, and Link growled. A swing to the left, and the Moblin brought its spear up to block. He flipped back, then quickly ducked down as the Moblin behind him swung his spear.

Quickly, Link drove his sword back, straight into the Moblin's stomach. It roared, and he turned his sword slightly, making the sword go in deeper. He then drew the sword out, then whirled around and sliced the Moblin's head off. The first Moblin then rushed forward and Link quickly whirled around bringing his sword up. The Moblin rose his spear to block, but Link's sword began to glow with a red flame and the sword cut through the spear without difficulty.

The Moblin's eyes went wide as he found his weapon destroyed in an instant. A quick swing was all it took, and the Moblin collapsed to the ground, its body dispersing into magic. Link wiped his lip with his sleeve, then sighed as the ground opened up beneath him and he fell through.

Link now found himself in another room that seemed void of enemies. He gripped his sword tight when he felt peace flow over the room. The room then began to glow brightly, and after a moment, the glow subsided, and Farore was left standing there in front of him. "You have made it deep into the Savage Labyrinth, Hero," she spoke. "However, there is still much more waiting for you ahead. You have passed the first part of the trial, and so I give this unto you." She held her hand forward, and Link covered his eyes from the golden glow that appeared above her hand.

After a moment, the glow subsided, and Link turned to see a small golden fragment floating in her hand. "This is a Triforce Shard," Farore spoke. "Continue the Savage Labyrinth, and you shall be given many more of these. Once you have them all, they will form the Triforce of Courage." Link took the shard into his hand, and at once, memories flowed through his mind. They were memories of the Hero of Time, and of the battles he fought.

"With each shard you find, more of your memories shall return to you. Up to now, you have been touched by a few shards, allowing your memories to slowly return. However, up till now, they have been unclear, and unfocused. When you hold the full Triforce of Courage, your memories will become perfectly clear."

"Touched by a few shards? You mean…I've actually already claimed some of the shards?"

Farore nodded. "We placed them all over the Great Sea, each in places we knew you would need to go. Here, however, we placed the remainder of them. Claim what is left, and you will have regained all of your memories."

Link nodded. "I understand."

"Then go, Link, journey deeper into the Savage Labyrinth and claim the Triforce of Courage and save our land." Link nodded and he felt the ground open up under his feet once more. As his feet touched the ground of the next room, his eyes began to scan the room in front of him. The room was no longer a simple cavern room, but was now a well designed circular room with pillars against the walls. Two doors sat on either end of him, both locked with large iron bars.

There was then the sound of cackling and Link quickly jumped to his right, barely avoiding a huge fireball that had been thrown at his back. As he whirled around to see his attacker, he caught a glimpse of a wizrobe before it vanished. "Wizrobes…" Link spoke and drew the Master Sword.

The wizrobe cackled once more and Link whirled around, striking the fireball with his sword, sending it flying off. The wizrobe roared at this, then vanished once more. There was then the sound of two voices cackling, then a third joined in. "Three wizrobes…" Link spoke and growled. He rose his sword into the air and it began to glow with fire.

Quickly, Link brought his sword down and formed a figure-eight pattern before slamming the sword into the ground. Flames rose up from the sword at once and Link looked forward, an almost evil look in his eyes. "Final Flame," he whispered and rose his sword up, holding it at his side. He then whirled around, unleashing flames that shot out in all directions of him, swirling out farther and quicker until the flames had engulfed the room.

Link quickly drove his sword into the ground and leaned upon it, breathing heavily. The attack had taken quite a bit to use, but he had destroyed the wizrobes. The bars on the doors then slowly slid up, and the doors themselves slowly began to open. The next sound was the sound of armor clanking against the ground over and over, like footsteps.

"Oh hell…" Link spoke as he pulled himself up, gripping the Master Sword tight. From the doorways marched two Darknuts, one from each doorway. Once in sight of Link, they held up their swords, then pulled them back, moving into a battle stance. "I've beaten these guys before…I can do it again…"

Link readied himself by pulling himself back, holding the Master Sword in front of him. His eyes focused on the Darknut before him, while his ears focused on the Darknut behind him. Slowly, the Darknut behind him moved forward, watching its opponent's moves. It growled and snarled and the other Darknut did the same. "Here I come!" Link shouted and rushed forward with a roar.

The Darknut quickly pulled its sword back, swinging down and forward at Link. Link quickly pushed his feet together and flipped into the air, avoiding the Darknut's sword. He then brought his sword down, striking the Darknut in the back of the helmet as he made his way over the Darknut and down to his feet behind him. A quick whirl, and his sword struck against the back of the Darknut's armor.

His move hadn't done much damage, but had at least dazed it for a second. However, it was only for a second as the Darknut regained its composure and whirled around. Link quickly ducked down, barely avoiding the Darknut's sword. He then brought the Master Sword up in a stab, but the Darknut's armor was solid, simply deflecting the blow. He growled and quickly jumped back, staring his enemies down.

The Darknuts laughed and snarled, letting out a roar. They pulled their swords up and gripped them with both of their hands. They then rushed forward at Link, who smirked. With a quick jump to the side, he pulled himself into a roll and rolled behind his enemies. With a quick push, he jumped up, swirling around as he did and striking the Darknuts in the back.

The blow knocked the Darknuts forward and, upon touching the ground with his feet, he did a jump into the air and brought his sword down into the back of one of the Darknuts. It roared loudly before its body dispersed into magic. The second Darknut roared as it pulled itself up only to have Link slam the Mirror Shield into its head, denting the Darknut's helmet.

A quick stab to the Darknut's now exposed neck was all it took, and the Darknut's body dispersed into magic. Link gave a sigh of relief and let himself drop to the ground to relax a moment. However, the ground had other plans as it opened up beneath him once again, dropping him into a cavern with a pit of lava in the center. "Where am I now?" Link asked and sighed.

His eyes scanned the room for a moment, and a feeling of dread came over him. This room…it was the same room he had fought Ghoma in before. His eyes moved up, noticing Valoo's tail that stuck through the roof of the ceiling. His eyes then moved down, and he quickly jumped back as Ghoma emerged from the lava. "Fuck!" Link swore loudly.

Ghoma's eye stared down at Link, and Link reached for his pouch. When he opened it, much to his surprise, he found only his grappling hook within. "Oh hell no…I've got to do this over again…exactly the same as before?" He looked back up at Ghoma who roared and slammed its massive claws into the ground next to Link. "All right! I'll do it!"

Quickly, Link begun to spin the grappling hook in his hand and Ghoma roared, opening her mouth wide. The grappling hook quickly caught on Valoo's tail, and he heard Valoo roar loudly. Link then kicked off with his feet and flew into the air, flying right over Ghoma's head. She roared and turned to follow him when Valoo slammed his fists into the ground above.

With that, a massive boulder crashed down, striking Ghoma directly in the head. Its body shook and it collapsed into the lava. "Not dead yet," Link spoke, readying himself for more. A moment later, Ghoma emerged, roaring loudly as it turned towards Link. Cracks had formed in its armor once again and Link smirked. "Now I got you." Link tossed the grappling hook forward once more and it snagged on Valoo's tail. Link pulled as hard as he could and Valoo roared, stomping around more.

The ceiling began to crack and massive rocks began to fall from the ceiling. Several fell directly onto Ghoma, each rock cracked its armor more and more. Finally, the armor plating on its head shattered apart and it roared again. Link now pushed his feet up, letting himself swing forward. He quickly drew the Master Sword and jumped forward, bringing his sword down right into the creature's eye.

Ghoma roared loudly and began to flail around frantically. Link gripped the Master Sword tighter, using it as a handle to hold on. As Ghoma flailed, the sword shifted in the creature's eye, digging in deeper with each passing moment. Finally, the creature collapsed forward, striking the ground nearby. Quickly, Link drew the Master Sword from the creature's dead body, and just as it began to slowly slip into the lava, the room became distorted, as if a wave of energy was flowing through it.

A moment later, the room became clear again, but he was now in the heart of the Forbidden Forest with the plant creature, Kalle Demos, lying in the center. "This one was easy," Link spoke and reached into his pouch, pulling out his boomerang. The plant's vines rose up, gripping the ceiling and pulling itself into the air. Five vine-like tentacles then rose up from its center, each holding a deadly scythe at the end. "Oh…that's not good…"

Quickly, Link tossed the boomerang forward, and he directed it first at the tentacles, which it cut off cleanly. Kalle Demos roared as Link then directed the boomerang up to the vines that held it up. The boomerang quickly cut through the vines, causing it to collapse to the ground. The boomerang's spinning then slowed to a stop and it vanished, re-appearing in Link's hand.

Quickly, Link tossed the boomerang forward again, aiming for the bud in the center of the plant. However, the plant rose one of its petals up, striking the boomerang away. It flew a ways before sticking into the wall nearby. Link rose his hand to recall the boomerang, but it seemed to be firmly stuck in the wall. "Teleport!" Link shouted.

"I cannot!" the voice of the boomerang spoke. "I am unsure why, but I seem to be incapable of teleporting to you while stuck in this wall."

"Damn it…not good!" Link turned to see the tentacles were finishing their regrowth and the scythes appeared upon the ends once more. "Shit…" Quickly, he rushed towards his boomerang and Kalle Demos quickly brought its tentacles down at Link. With each strike to the ground, the tentacles grew steadily closer to him.

Link quickly jumped and gripped the boomerang only to have one of Kalle Demos' vines wrap around him and pull him away. Link, however, held onto the boomerang, causing Kalle Demos to rip the boomerang out of the wall as well. However, once free from the wall, the boomerang slipped from his hand and began to spin upward. Focusing his thoughts, Link directed the boomerang straight down where it dug into the plant's bud.

Kalle Demos roared loudly as the boomerang tore its bud apart, and the plant's body went limb and collapsed to the ground. Link slowly stood to his feet, only to have a wave of energy go through the room once more, distorting it once again. "Let me guess, Jalhalla is next, isn't he?" Link asked as the room came into form, revealing it to be the Sage's chamber in the Temple of Earth. "Told you…"

Jalhalla roared as its ugly form appeared from the ground. "You'll be cake," Link spoke and gripped the Master Sword tight. He rushed forward, only to have Jalhalla smack Link away, sending him flying across the room. He crashed against the ground and groaned as he stared up at the ceiling. "That…wasn't cool…" He groaned and sat up, his eyes immediately locking onto Jalhalla the moment they saw him.

"Bring it on, ghostie!" Link spoke as he stood to his feet, keeping his eyes locked. Jalhalla roared, then begun to suck in air. A moment later, it breathed out, unleashing flames from its mouth that shot forward at Link. "Shit!" he shouted and quickly jumped aside. "Light…need light!" Link shouted and he found himself tripping over a rock, landing face-first into the ground.

Suddenly, memories flowed through his mind once again, these ones were specific. They were all showing him, in his past life, holding a bow, unleashing arrows of pure light. When the memories vanished, Link noticed the rock he had tripped over had also vanished. "Triforce…" he spoke, then looked up at Jalhalla who roared loudly.

Quickly, Link drew his bow and aimed it forward. He grabbed the empty bowstring and pulled it back. In an instant, an arrow of pure light formed in the bow and Jalhalla rose its hands up to its face. Link aimed at the creature's mask, then let the bowstring go, allowing the arrow to sail forward and dig deeply into the ghost's mask. The mask cracked and Jalhalla roared loudly as his arms began to flail around from the pain.

"You're dead!" Link shouted as he rushed forward, jumping into the air and bringing his sword down, slicing Jalhalla's mask in half. The room then seemed to freeze and a wave of energy transformed the room once more into the sand-filled chamber of the Sage of Wind. "Molgera…"

Link gripped the Master Sword tight as he stood his ground, his ears listening hard for any sound made in the sand. It took only a moment before Link was jumping forward and out of the way as Molgera breached the surface of the sand and flew into the air. Link pulled his hookshot from his pouch and aimed up at Molgera. As the creature turned towards him, he pushed the trigger causing the arrowhead of the hookshot to launch forward and dig into Molgera's eye.

"Just like last time," Link spoke and flipped the trigger, causing it to retract, ripping Molgera's eye from its body. "And now…" Link held his sword up as if it was a bat. Molgera roared as it blindly flew forward towards Link and with a quick swing, the Master Sword dug into Molgera and rent it in half. A wave of energy then distorted the room once more, and when it was gone, Link found himself standing in an impressive gold room.

Before him now stood Din, Nayru, and Farore, each with a smile upon their faces. "You have done well, Hero," Din spoke.

"You have passed through the Savage Labyrinth and completed its trial," Nayru spoke.

"All of the Triforce pieces are now yours," Farore spoke as she held up a shard of the Triforce of Courage. As she did, seven shards shot out from Link and swirled around in Farore's hand. They then formed together to form a large golden triangle with several cracks and chipped pieces in it.

"It…still looks incomplete, though," Link spoke.

"Does it? Look again." Farore held the Triforce forward and Link reached forward. As his hand touched it, it began to glow brightly, causing Link to pull his hands up to his eyes. When the glow subsided, he pulled his arms down, and his eyes were caught in surprise when he saw a single, perfect, golden triangle now floating before him. In an instant, he fell into a trance.

* * *

Link now found himself in a white room of pure light. His eyes scanned the room, but at first he saw no one. "So, you're finally here," a voice spoke and Link whirled around. A man in a green tunic now stood before him. He had fairly short, blonde hair and his head was covered by a green, pointed hat. A pair of tights covered his legs, and a pair of golden gauntlets were upon his hands. A belt was wrapped around his waist, and his feet were covered in brown boots that were covered in dirt.

"Who are you?" Link asked.

The man smirked. "Isn't it obvious?"

Link blinked for a moment. "Of course…you're the man from my memories…"

"I am what once was the Hero of Time, Link. A thousand years ago, I fought the Demon King of Evil, Ganondorf. I defeated him, but at a cost. We had to seal him into the Sacred Realm because his power was too much to stop. We did so, and the Princess sent me back in time." The Hero drew his sword, which looked exactly like the Master Sword. "Since then, I have been unable to rest. My soul has been split into two, and sent between the timelines. Half of me exists in another time, while this half of me lives in you."

The Hero turned and Link stared forward. "And now you're going to give me all of your memories?"

The Hero shook his head. "I'm going to give you back all of yours." The Hero reached forward and touched Link's head. Immediately, memories flooded through him and his past became clear. His uncompleted memories became complete, and the memories he did not yet have were finally returned and revealed. "Always remember, this is you, not anyone else. These are your memories." With those words, the room faded out, and Link was returned to the waking world.

* * *

Ganondorf laughed as he stepped into Hyrule Castle. "Princess Zelda!" he shouted. "I'm here!" He rose his hand up and lightning shot from his hand, striking the statue of the Hero of Time and shattering it apart. "Oh, that's right, you're asleep, so you don't even know what's going on." He laughed as he stepped forward, making his way down the stairs to where Zelda lie. "Now, Princess, you're mine."

* * *

"Good to see you awake again, Link," King spoke as Link groaned, slowly sitting himself up.

"What happened?" Link asked.

"You completed the Savage Labyrinth and the Goddesses teleported you back here."

"And where is here? Doesn't look like Outset…"

"Well, while you were asleep, I took us back to the Tower of the Gods."

Link turned, now seeing the Tower of the Gods in front of him. "Oh…then it's time to go get Zelda back, huh?"

King nodded. "Yes."

"Then let's go." Link rose his hand up and the Triforce of Courage on his hand began to glow. The golden ring appeared in the water once more and King sailed into it. Link and King then descended into Hyrule, but neither knew of the dangers that awaited them, or what evils had befallen Tetra.


	20. The Final Battle

**Chapter 20: The Final Battle**

There wasn't a sound as King finally set down upon the waters of Hyrule Castle's courtyard. Link scanned the castle for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. "This is it, we're finally back," he spoke.

"Yes, it is time to awaken Zelda," King spoke.

"Tetra!" Link corrected.

"Whatever. It is time to awaken her. Take the Triforce of Courage to the chamber where you pulled the Master Sword. When it gets close to…Tetra…" King spoke that last word reluctantly, "…it should awaken her."

"You're sure?"

King nodded. "Yes."

"All right." Link hopped out of King and into the water beneath him. He waded through the water until he reached the steps and made his way up. He then turned towards the grand archway that led into Hyrule Castle and he stepped forward. What awaited him, however, was a horrifying sight. The castle had been ransacked, and the railings that were already in shambles before were now torn apart and spread throughout the castle.

There were large holes in the corridors, and the second floor had been nearly decimated. The statue of the Hero of Time, which sat in the center of the room, had been ripped apart by magic, and the ruins of the statue lied throughout the castle. Only one piece had been kept intact, and that was his head, which had been purposefully severed from the rest of the body before the statue had been destroyed. The Master Sword from the statue itself lied in four pieces around the statue's head. Someone had been trying to make a statement.

"Tetra…" Link spoke and drew the Master Sword, rushing forward to where the statue had stood and rushed down the stairs that led to the Master Sword's chamber. He stopped when he hit the railing, noticing the room had been untouched, and Tetra still lied there, in the center of the room, unharmed. Link gave a sigh of relief as he quickly hopped over the railing and rushed over to Tetra.

"Tetra." Link dropped to his knees and picked Tetra up. "It's time to wake up, Tetra. Triforce of Courage, wake Tetra up." There seemed to be no response to Link's words. "Triforce of Courage?" Link asked as he looked at his hand. The Triforce was glowing upon his hand, but something was wrong.

Suddenly, there was a deep laugh that echoed throughout the chamber and Link quickly looked up. "You thought you could hide her here, did you?" a voice asked and Link recognized it right away as Ganondorf. "You pathetic fool! There is nowhere in all of Hyrule where she will be safe from me!"

Link looked down, only to notice Tetra had vanished from his hands. "Where did you take her?" he shouted as he looked up at the ceiling.

Ganondorf laughed. "Isn't that obvious? I've taken her to my tower. If you wish to rescue her, you will come to me!"

Link growled and turned. "Very well, then, I'm coming."

Ganondorf laughed once more. "You fool, don't think I'll just let you leave here." Flame erupted from all around Link and he growled, readying himself. Magic swirled around Link, and he swung the Master Sword in a hope to get the magic off of him, but it did no good. A moment later, he was covered in darkness which then split off, landing about four feet in front of him.

From the darkness rose Link's equal. A black, pointed hat with a black tunic covered his body while a dark form of the Master Sword sat in his hand. His eyes glowed a blood red color, and an evil smirk was upon his black lips. In his right hand he held a black shield that looked exactly like the Mirror Shield, and his boots and tights were just as black as the rest of his outfit, only his belt, which had a yellow buckle, was different.

"Dark Link," Link spoke and stepped back.

The dark copy of Link gave out a laugh. "You are correct, Link," the shadow spoke. "I am Dark Link, servant of Ganondorf, and equal to your power."

"I will stop you just like I did before."

"How? Do you not remember that your last victory over me was but a simple miracle? It was, at the last moment, that you gained the strength to stop me, but not this time. No, this time, I will be the victor, and you will finally fall before my feet!" Dark Link rushed forward, striking his sword against the Master Sword. The two locked into combat and they growled as they pushed on each other.

Link felt strength course through his body, and he pushed with all of his might against Dark Link. Slowly, he pushed Dark Link further back, and after a moment, he pushed against his sword hard, knocking Dark Link back, making him stagger back several steps. "Is that the best you've got?" Dark Link taunted and Link rushed forward. Dark Link quickly slammed his shield into Link's head, knocking him back. "You may have won the chance, but that is all."

Link grabbed his head and growled as he looked up at Dark Link. "I'm not beaten yet, Dark Link," Link spoke and held his sword at his side. The sword began to glow with flame and Dark Link laughed.

"What do you think you're going to do?"

"Improvise." Link jumped forward and Dark Link brought his shield up. The Master Sword quickly cut downward, and struck the shield. In an instant, there was a release of energy that shot out as shockwaves against them both. Dark Link growled as the shockwaves pushed him off his feet, and Link was knocked back.

"What the hell was that?"

"Something I just came up with. It's called the Jump Strike." Link quickly brought his sword back again, letting it glow once more.

"You can't get me with that twice." Dark Link held his sword forward and Link smirked.

"Who said I was trying to?" Link rushed forward and Dark Link quickly rose his sword up. The two swords collided and energy was once again released in the form of shockwaves. Dark Link held the best he could against the shockwaves, trying to push through them, but they were too much. The shockwaves sent Link and Dark Link flying back once more.

Link was forced back into a statue, and the Master Sword dropped down next to him as he lied limb on the ground. Dark Link, however, was not hit as hard, and he landed and scrapped against the ground. After a moment, Dark Link stood to his feet and grinned as he saw Link's unmoving body before him. He slowly lifted his sword and stepped forward. "Poor fool, you tried your best, but it wasn't enough," Dark Link spoke. "Now a new chapter will be written. A chapter that speaks how light was defeated by darkness, and how the Hero of Time became no more." Dark Link rose his sword up. "Die!"

Dark Link's eyes then darted wide open as he felt the Master Sword being driven straight into his chest. A smirk was upon Link's face as he looked up at the dark man. "Before you rant to an unconscious foe, make certain they're really unconscious first," Link spoke, then twisted the Master Sword which made Dark Link roar in pain. Link then stood to his feet and gripped the Master Sword tight. He smiled, then unleashed magic into the Master Sword, making it glow with flames. Link then swung the blade in a circle, rending the dark man in half.

The darkness dissipated thereafter and Link bent over, panting for breathe. The fight had taken a lot out of him. He had never fought such an equal opponent before. A moment, though, was all he rested for. For once rested, Link made his way up into the first floor of Hyrule Castle, then out the south side. There he saw Ganon's tower in the distance blocked by a barrier that surrounded Hyrule Castle. "Goddesses, give me the strength to save Princess Zelda," he spoke and held the Master Sword in front of his face. It began to glow, and he cut through the barrier.

It was as if the barrier had been made of glass, as it quickly cracked out from where Link had swung, and soon the cracks had covered the entirety of the barrier, reaching from the top of the Great Sea to the bottom of the chasm below. The barrier then shattered to pieces like glass, and Link felt wind flow forward against him. "Wind? Underwater?" he asked, then looked up. The bubble that formed the Great Sea was still in place. "What was it King said…the Goddesses sealed Hyrule away? Maybe this is the product of the seal."

Link looked forward, seeing the path that awaited him. He quickly rushed forward, running down the long, winding path that led from Hyrule Castle to the dark, black tower in the distance. As Link arrived, he stared forward at the dark tower before him. The tower seemed infinitely large, and it seemed to blot out the sun above. A dark gate stood as the entrance to the tower, and the image of a pig creature was carved into the door. Link pulled together his courage and pushed the door open, stepping into the darkness that awaited him.

The inside of the tower was a dark place. There lied four doorways in this room. One of to his left, one to his right, one the way he had come, and what appeared to be a fourth that was locked behind bricks that lied in front of him. On the floor was a large, glowing blue circle with wind-like designs engraved into it. Link glanced in each direction, then stepped forward into the circle.

When he reached the center, he heard a dark laugh. Link looked up and smoke appeared from out of nowhere, forming into Ganon's Phantom. "So, you're back, are you?" Link asked.

"Yes, and our encounter this time will be unlike our last," the Phantom spoke. His massive sword then appeared in his hand as he floated around Link.

"We'll see." Link held the Master Sword forward and it began to glow. A bolt of energy shot forward and Phantom Ganon quickly struck the bolt away with his sword.

"As I said, this will be different then before."

"So it seems." Link readied himself for battle as the Phantom swirled around him. After a moment, the Phantom rose his free hand up and energy began to form in his hand. He then thrust his hand forward, sending the ball of energy straight towards Link. Quickly, Link swung his sword, striking the ball away, sending it flying back at the Phantom. The Phantom roared striking the ball with his sword as well, returning it towards Link.

"I don't think so!" Link shouted and struck the ball harder then before, sending it flying back at the Phantom, this time faster then before. The Phantom, however, simply struck the ball back at Link. A quick spin, and Link struck the ball with his sword, spun it around, and sent it swirling back at his opponent. The Phantom quickly rose its hands, feeling the ball of energy strike it directly in the chest.

The Phantom's form dissipated for but a single moment before re-appearing once again, this time, however, there were four of them, each at a different side of Link. "Playing 'which is the real one' now, huh?" Link asked and growled. The Phantoms swung their swords in their hands, then pulled them back to get ready to strike. Quickly, Link brought his sword to his side and it began to glow with fire once more. He then unleashed the flames outward in all directions around him as he swirled around. The flames licked and destroyed the fakes, leaving only the one that floated directly in front of Link.

Link then brought his sword up to block the Phantom's blade, and the two swords collided. The two forced themselves upon each other, pushing against each other's sword to try and throw back the other. Link could feel his strength giving way as the Phantom's seemed to simply increase. "I…will not…lose…" Link spoke and pushed with all of his might, pushing the Phantom back. "Die!" Link shouted and rushed forward, cutting the Phantom in half.

The Phantom roared, and its form dissipated once more. Link breathed heavily, his eyes scanning the room. He had no reason to believe this was the end of the battle. A moment later, and Link's suspicions were proved to be true as the Phantom re-appeared once more above Link. He roared and brought both of his hands together, pushing energy from all around into one massive orb.

Link noticed this and drew his bow. "One chance!" he shouted as he pulled the bowstring back, causing an arrow of pure light to appear in his bow. He let go and the arrow shot up, striking the orb directly in the center. The Phantom roared as the dark energy between its hands went out of control at that moment. The orb cracked slowly, light shining through the orb the more it cracked until it imploded upon itself. The implosion then unleashed an explosion that engulfed the Phantom and half of the room.

As the smoke cleared, there seemed to be nothing left of the Phantom, and the wall that had once held a hidden doorway behind it was now blown apart, along with the doorway itself. Link stood at the ready for a moment more until he was certain the Phantom had been defeated. He then gave a sigh of relief and let himself catch his breathe. "I'm still coming, Ganondorf!" he shouted up at the ceiling, then rushed forward through the destroyed doorway.

Link now found himself in a long hallway that looked more like a tall set of stairs. Red carpet was upon the floor, and the stairs seemed to climb up indefinitely. He gripped the Master Sword tight and slowly began to make his way up the stairway. With each step, he began to feel more lost then before, wondering if this stairway would ever possibly end. After what felt like ages, Link collapsed at the top step, breathing heavily to catch his breathe. There had to have been magic at work there, he was certain of it.

Now he stood at the top of the stairs, a large red door now standing in his way. The door had the carvings of a pig creature engraved in it, much like the gateway to the tower had. These doors also seemed to rise up several feet above Link, which made him wonder if these doors would lead to a throne room of some kind, and if they did, would Ganondorf be waiting there?

Link built up his courage and pushed the door open. There, inside, Link found himself standing in a large room filled with ankle deep water. The only portion that was without water was the center of the room where a bed sat. The bed was covered in curtains, but the one thing Link could guarantee he could see behind the curtains was the back of Ganondorf's head.

"Do you still sleep?" Ganondorf asked as he turned towards the bed. The curtain moved slightly, and Link saw Tetra lying there upon the bed, still fast asleep. "Wait." Ganondorf rose his hand up at Link. "I can see into this girl's dreams." Link slowly stepped forward into the water as Ganondorf brought his hand down over Tetra's face. "Oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans, oceans as far as the eye can see. A vast sea where neither fishing nor swimming can be done to one's heart's content.

"What was it that fool, the King of Hyrule, said? That the Gods sealed Hyrule away? That they saved people who would one day revive Hyrule? How laughable!" Ganondorf then let out a chuckle and turned to Link. "You're like floating leaves. What could you possibly do with such small and insignificant islands? Do you not understand? All of you…you're Gods destroyed you!" Ganondorf bellowed out the last sentence as he stood to his feet and whirled around to face Link. "I have been waiting for you. I have been waiting for you to become qualified to stand before me. Yes, I have been waiting for you to become a hero. Do not betray my expectations."

Ganondorf rose his arms up, and Link heard an odd snapping sound, like wood snapping apart. Ganondorf's arms lengthened out as they slammed into the ground beneath him. His form grew and Link heard the sound of the robes he wore ripping apart. His body changed, but his form lied behind the curtains of the bed that Tetra lied in, and Link could no longer see what his opponent looked like. A moment later, and the bed Tetra lied upon rose up towards the ceiling, and Link's eyes went wide as he saw a large, pig-like monster on the other side.

However, there was something odd about this creature. It seemed to be made completely of wood, and its face held a crooked smile, as if it had been drawn on. Link's eyes moved up, and it was there that he saw the truth. Several large and thick blue strings dangled from the ceiling, each attached to a different part of the creature, giving it the look of a marionette. A large, red rope could be seen in the center of all of the strings, and Link could only guess that this was a fake, and that the real Ganondorf must have been at the ceiling, controlling the creature.

Link bit his lip and growled. "Ganondorf, you coward!" he shouted. "Face me yourself!" Link's response was in the form of the puppet throwing its fist forward, striking Link hard and knocking him back into the wall. "Damn it…" he spoke as he pulled himself up and wiped his lip. "You want to play it that way? Fine." Link reached into his pouch and pulled out his boomerang. "You ready for this?"

"Always, Master," the boomerang responded. Link tossed it forward, and in an instant, the edges became like a sharp blade. The boomerang struck one of the strings, and Link heard the sound of string snapping, but it wasn't enough. Each string was composed of several smaller strings bound together. One pass wouldn't be enough to cut the strings holding the puppet. Link quickly directed the boomerang back towards the partially broken string, and with a second pass, the string snapped apart, causing one of the puppet's arms to drop to the ground.

The puppet quickly tossed its functioning hand forward and Link barely dodged out of the way. He then directed the boomerang back, making it strike another string, this time more solidly, causing the string to snap apart in a single pass, making one of its legs fall limb. The boomerang then slowed in its spin, then teleported back into Link's waiting hand. "Going to have to do this a couple more times," Link spoke and jumped to the side as the puppet's fist slammed into the wall next to him.

Link tossed the boomerang forward once more and he directed it to the puppet's other hand. The first pass, and the string snapped some, but not enough. Link directed it back, and the puppet began to spin. The boomerang quickly followed the spinning puppet, aiming to strike its target, but the puppet was spinning too much. It was then Link got an idea and directed the boomerang backwards.

In an instant, it cut through three other strings, forcing the puppet's tail, head, and its second leg to fall limb, leaving only a single arm left connected. "Yes!" Link shouted. The boomerang returned to Link's hand and he tossed it forward, striking the final string, making the puppet's body fall limb. "Yes!" Link shouted and the boomerang returned to his hand.

However, the puppet was not beaten yet. It was still held on by the single red rope, and the rope was moving, making the puppet move closer to Link. "What's he doing now?" Suddenly, the puppet seemed to jump up and Link jumped to the side, but the puppet was too quick as it soon came down, slamming directly on top of him. Link screamed in pain as the weight of the puppet threatened to crush him.

"Master, the tail!" the boomerang shouted and Link turned, noticing a strange blue orb on the end of the puppet's tail. Link quickly threw the boomerang forward, directing it to the orb, but when it struck, it simply bounced off. "Damn it!" he shouted. "It can't end like this…" Link struggled to pull himself out from under the puppet when his bow slid out of its quiver, dropping in front of him.

Without even thinking, Link grabbed the bow and aimed at the orb on the puppet's tail. He pulled the bowstring back, creating an arrow of pure light. He then let go of the arrow and it sailed forward, striking the orb solidly. Light shot through the puppet's body as the orb began to crack. The puppet roared and began to jump around before collapsing to the ground on the other side of the room. "Did I get it?" Link asked as he staggered to his feet.

The puppet slowly rose up once more and Link watched it carefully. Magic seemed to form the strings together once again, and the puppet was dropped down once more, seemingly good as new. "I have to do it again?!" Link shouted and groaned. Quickly, he called for his boomerang, which teleported into his waiting hand. He tossed the boomerang up once more, directing it towards the strings.

The puppet quickly tossed one of its hands forward to strike the boomerang, but the boomerang shot straight up into the air, avoiding the attack. It then returned down, digging through the string that held the hand solid. At once, the puppet's hand dropped, sliding across the ground a ways. Link then directed the boomerang back up cutting the string that held the puppet's head secure. With a spin, the boomerang whirled around, snapping apart the strings that held its other hand and finally its tail.

Seeing the puppet's tail lying limb upon the ground, Link readied his bow once more, forming an arrow of light in the bowstring. He waited for the puppet to begin to move, exposing the orb on the back of its tail. At that moment, he let the arrow fly and it struck the orb solid once more, making light shine through its body and causing it to roar loudly. Quickly, before the puppet would have time to recover, Link launched off a third arrow, which shattered the orb upon impact.

Light shot through the puppet's body once more and roared as its body violently shook. Its form went limb and Link stared at it for a moment. When he noticed it wasn't moving, he gave a sigh of relief. "It's over…" he spoke and went to put the bow back when he noticed the puppet was slowly rising up once more. It pulled its arms, legs, tail, and head into its chest and the chest shattered apart, revealing a large spider-like creature with the face of a pig.

The puppet's new form slammed into the ground in front of Link and its face changed, as if giving him an evil smirk, then laughing at him. "I'm getting mocked by a puppet…" Link spoke and shook his head. "Fine, let's do this." The puppet began to rise up and Link watched carefully. He saw another orb, exactly like the one from before, sitting on the creature's backside. It then began to spin, steadily growing quicker and quicker as it hovered directly over him. "Not good…" he spoke and began to run.

Just as he began to run, four Keese flew down from seemingly nowhere and screeched at him. "Augh!" Link shouted and drew the Master Sword, quickly slicing the Keese in half. They fell to the ground and Link looked down, noticing he could see the puppet's reflection in the water as his feet. He noticed it was slowing down in its spin, and Link quickly drew his bow.

The puppet's spinning stopped, and immediately it began to fall straight down. Link quickly rolled forward, barely avoiding being crushed by the puppet. He then whirled around, drawing an arrow of light as he did. He then released the arrow forward, watching it flight straight into the orb on the backside of the puppet. Once again the orb began to crack and light shot through the puppet.

It was as if the puppet was quickly yanked back up, beginning to spin almost immediately. Link growled as Keese once again began to fly down at him, seemingly from nowhere. "Where the hell are these Keese coming from?" Link shouted and cut them apart with the Master Sword. The puppet began to slow once again and Link jumped aside once more as the puppet dropped down, barely missing him once again.

Link whirled around, unleashing a second arrow of light upon the orb and light shot through its body as it was yanked up into the air once more. "Three shots before…" Link spoke. The puppet began to spin once more and Link drew the Master Sword as the Keese began to fly down at him once again. This time, there were twice as many. "KaiTenGiri!" Link shouted as he swirled around, cutting the Keese apart.

Link growled, panting a little as he looked up, watching the puppet's spinning slow once more. Link drew his bow and aimed up. The moment it stopped, Link unleashed the arrow of light forward, striking the orb while the puppet was still in the air. With the third shot, the orb shattered apart and the puppet roared loudly as light shot through its body.

Link then jumped out of the way as the puppet crashed into the ground once more. "Is it dead this time?" he asked, holding his bow ready. After only a moment, the creature's form exploded outward, forming into a large snake-like creature with a pig face on the front. The red rope was now attached to its head and it quickly shot forward, moving at amazing speeds.

"Damn it, Ganondorf! Fight me yourself!" Link shouted as he drew the Master Sword. He waited for the puppet to come towards him and he slashed the puppet across the face, knocking it over. Link then drew his bow and took aim. The orb was once again on the creature's tail and he quickly shot an arrow of light at the orb, causing the puppet to roar and flail around violently as the orb began to crack once more.

The puppet now seemed even more ferocious and was now moving much faster then before. It moved away from Link for a moment, then began to circle around him. Link growled and swung the Master Sword, but the puppet simply moved out of the way. After a moment, the puppet turned away from Link, then whirled around and charged forward, roaring loudly. Link quickly thrust the Master Sword forward, stabbing right into the creature's nose.

The puppet roared and Link jumped to the side as he watched it slam into a wall. Drawing his bow once more, he unleashed an arrow of light upon the orb, making the puppet roar and flail around violently once more. The puppet was even angrier now, having a sword driven into its nose, and the orb on its tail nearly destroyed. The puppet roared as it shot itself forward at Link.

Link reached back for the Master Sword, only to remember it had been driven into the puppet's face. He quickly jumped out of the way, just barely avoiding being struck head-on by the puppet. The puppet roared as it quickly curved around and shot forward at Link once more. It roared loudly and Link quickly backed himself against the wall. A smirk appeared on his face, and at the last moment, Link dodged out of the way, making the puppet slam head first into the wall.

Drawing his bow for a final time, he pulled the bowstring back as he stood an inch from the puppet's orb. He let go, and the puppet roared as the orb exploded, forcing Link back several feet, then making him roll upon the ground before he finally stopped by striking the wall behind him.

Light shot through the puppet's form and it roared loudly. It began to move up into the air as it spun quickly. "Another form?!" Link shouted as he held his head. Suddenly, the creature exploded, and the master Sword went flying out, landing blade first into the ground only an inch away from Link. Link jumped at this, but when he turned back to look at what the puppet had in store next, only the red rope remained.

Link looked up at the ceiling and it was there that he saw Ganondorf in the rafters, staring down at him with an evil smirk upon his face. "Very good," he spoke and clapped his hands. "Bravo, Link, bravo. That is exactly what the re-incarnation of the Hero of Time is capable of. Yes, you definitely are his re-incarnation. I guess the time has come…" Ganondorf turned and pulled upon his robe as he did. "Fine, then come before me." He reached down and Link saw Ganondorf lift Tetra onto his shoulder. "Come stand before me, Hero!"

In an instant, Ganondorf vanished and Link growled, slamming his fist into the ground. He began to pant heavily and he set his hand upon his forehead. "It's not over yet…" he spoke and slowly stood to his feet. He felt bruised and tired from the fight, and he knew that in only a few minutes he would be fighting Ganondorf once again, but he wasn't going to let up. He drew the Master Sword from the ground and sheathed it as he stepped forward, grabbing onto the red rope Ganondorf had left behind. "I'm coming, Ganondorf!" he shouted and began to climb the rope.

* * *

"Still you sleep…" Ganondorf spoke as he dropped Tetra to the ground carelessly. He now stood on the very top of his tower. "The Triforce of Wisdom's spell on you cannot be broken even by my Triforce of Power. Only when all three are near will it be broken." Ganondorf looked into the sky, staring at the bubble that formed the Great Sea. "Soon this will all be over."

"Ganondorf!" Link shouted as he pulled himself up onto the roof of Ganondorf's tower and Ganondorf just stared at the bubble above him. "This ends now." Link drew the Master Sword and gripped the Mirror Shield tight.

"My country lay in a vast desert," Ganondorf spoke suddenly. "When the sun was in the sky, there was a scorching wind. When the moon ascended, a desolate wind…The wind brought only death… However, the wind that blew upon the land of Hyrule did not bring death. I must have desired that wind. It must be fate…those who bear the crests have once again gathered here. 'The One who touches me will have his wish granted'…

"It is said that when one gathers the Crests of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, the Gods themselves descended. The one who touches the power of the Gods, the Triforce, will have his any wish granted. Already the crest of wisdom is mine." Ganondorf looked down at Tetra. "As well as power." He looked down at his own hand. "All that is left is…" He turned and Link gripped the Master Sword tight.

Ganondorf smirked and he rushed forward before Link could react, he found himself knocked to the ground by a quick punch to the face. Link's grip on the Master Sword was lost, and Ganondorf quickly swatted it away, making it fly across the roof, landing blade first into the tower, only an inch from Tetra. A quick punch to the gut, and Link grabbed his stomach, wincing in pain. Another punch to the face was all Ganondorf needed to do and Link was knocked back, practically unconscious. "Do not worry, I will not kill you. I only have need of what is in your body."

Ganondorf gripped Link's hand and pulled him up, dangling him by the arm. "Now, let us end our fated bond!" Ganondorf rose his hand up and the marks on his, Zelda's, and Link's hands began to glow. "Triforce, hear my call, come out from us and come together!" Link felt the Triforce leave his body and when he looked forward, he saw three golden triangles forming together in front of him.

Ganondorf laughed as he dropped Link to the ground and stepped forward. "It's mine! It's mine at last!" Ganondorf shouted and rose his hand. "Gods! Here my desire! Let this land once again be exposed to the sun! Put Hyrule in my hands!" Ganondorf brought his hand down, but as he did, the grin on his face was wiped clean, and his eyes went wide. There, standing in front of the Triforce, with his hand resting upon it, was King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule.

"The one who touches it will have his any wish granted," King spoke. "Isn't that what you said, Ganondorf?" Ganondorf growled. "Gods of the Triforce, this is my wish!" King spoke as he turned to the Triforce. "A future! Give this children a future full of hope! Erase Hyrule, the land of the past, and give unto these children a bright future!" King turned to Ganondorf. "And let our destinies be fulfilled. Ganondorf, may you drown with Hyrule."

Ganondorf watched as the Triforce began to glow and slowly began to ascend into the sky. As it did, the bubble above him began to crack slowly, allowing water to come pouring down into the land. It was then that Ganondorf snapped and he could only bellow an insane laugh. "How foolish…a future…is that what you said?" Ganondorf asked before letting out a laugh once more.

"What are you laughing for! What an annoying old man!" a voice spoke and Ganondorf turned. It was then that he saw Tetra was at her feet, and in her hands was the Master Sword. Link, too, had made his way to his feet. "Sorry, Link, I overslept," Tetra spoke as she smiled. "Now, we have to say farewell to this place and return to our ocean." Tetra winked and Link nodded, grabbing the Master Sword from her hands.

"Fine…I'll show you…" Ganondorf spoke as he turned away from them and brought his hands up to his chest. "Your future…and hope…I'll show you how much you have…" With a flick of his wrists, two swords appeared in his hands. One was large, having a hilt that looked as if it had fangs sticking out of the guard. Its hilt and blade seemed to be made of a special black metal. The other was smaller and looked similar to a katana. The hilt was wrapped in blue bands, while the blade itself seemed to be made of a pure white metal. Ganondorf turned with an evil smirk upon his face. "And I'll show you whether you are worthy of the Triforce!"

"Link! Give me your bow!" Tetra spoke and Link quickly grabbed his bow and tossed it to her. "You distract him, I'll shoot him with Light Arrows."

Link nodded and turned. Suddenly, Link felt energy flow through him, as if something was revitalizing him. He felt power and strength like he hadn't felt before. Could this have been the Master Sword giving him strength? Or could it have been because of King's wish? It didn't matter to Link, he just knew that with this strength, he could do anything.

Link rushed forward, swinging the Master Sword forward. Ganondorf quickly blocked the attack and Link brought the Master Sword around again, causing Ganondorf to block with his other sword. "The Master Sword is nothing compared to the combined might of the White and Black Swords, kid!" Ganondorf shouted and swung his swords together. Link quickly brought his sword up to block and Ganondorf roared as he felt an arrow of light hit him directly in the back.

"It doesn't matter, the power of the Master Sword and the Light Arrows will stop you, Ganondorf," Link spoke and swung the Master Sword forward. Ganondorf growled and barely blocked the attack. Ganondorf then pushed himself up and jumped back several feet.

"We shall see, boy!"

"My name isn't boy, or kid, or anything like that!" Link shouted and rushed forward. Ganondorf quickly met Link's blades as he swung up, then down, followed by swirling his blade around quickly. With each move, Ganondorf met the Master Sword with a block. Tetra quickly pulled back on the bow once more and took aim at Ganondorf once again as Link jumped around Ganondorf and brought his sword up in whirling strike. However, Ganondorf simply thrust his swords behind him and blocked the attack.

Tetra then let the arrow fly striking Ganondorf in the chest with an arrow of light. "You are a nuisance!" Ganondorf shouted and flew forward, landing only a few inches from Tetra.

"Tetra!" Link shouted as Ganondorf whirled the Black Sword around, making it vanish. He then brought his hand around and struck Tetra, knocking her to the ground.

"Die, fool!" Ganondorf summoned the Black Sword once more and Link quickly cut into Ganondorf's back with the Master Sword. The wound wasn't very deep, but it caused Ganondorf to bleed some. "Die!" Ganondorf shouted and swung his sword. Link quickly blocked with the Master Sword and began to push against Ganondorf's sword. Ganondorf growled as he pushed back against the Master Sword. He then pushed up with the Black Sword and brought the White Sword forward. However, Link carefully blocked with his shield, then hopped back.

Ganondorf roared and rushed forward and Link quickly brought his sword to his side. "Forest Beam!" Link shouted and unleashed a beam of green energy forward at Ganondorf. However, Ganondorf simply brought his swords up, cutting through the beam. Link then swung the Master Sword once more and blocked Ganondorf's swords.

"You'll never win, boy!" Ganondorf shouted.

"My name isn't boy!" Link shouted and pushed Ganondorf back. He rushed forward, bringing the Master Sword up to strike, but Ganondorf simply brought his sword down to block. Link whirled around, aiming to strike, but Ganondorf quickly swung the White Sword to block. Link then jumped forward and over Ganondorf's head, but he simply brought the Black Sword up to block as Link brought the Master Sword down.

Link landed behind Ganondorf, then whirled around, but Ganondorf brought his swords up behind him, blocking Link's attack. "Come on, Tetra…wake up…" Link mumbled. "I can't do this without you." Link pulled his sword back and Ganondorf whirled around. Link's sword began to glow and Ganondorf smirked. Link jumped forward and swung the Black Sword up to meet the Master Sword, causing shockwaves to be unleashed in mid-air.

Link pushed with his sword as the energy rippled out from their swords even more until finally the energy pushed them both back. "Shadow Blade!" Link shouted and brought the Master Sword into both of his hands. He then pulled his hands apart, forming a second blade of shadow in his right hand. "Let's do this." Link rushed forward and Ganondorf quickly swung the Black Sword, which Link blocked with the Master Sword.

Ganondorf then brought the White Sword around and Link blocked with his Shadow Blade. Swing after swing, they countered each other flawlessly. "Link! This whole place is going to be underwater in only a few minutes!" King shouted. "You have to defeat him, quickly!"

"I'm trying!" Link shouted and brought his swords up in an X shape which Ganondorf countered by bringing the Black Sword down into attack.

"Give up, boy!"

"I'll never give up, and I'll never surrender!" Link shouted and managed to push Ganondorf back. However, the Shadow Blade's magic had worn up, and it dissipated. "Water Strike!" Link shouted as he brought the Master Sword down, unleashing a blast of water straight forward at Ganondorf, who brought his swords together in an X shape to block the attack.

"Link!" Tetra shouted as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Tetra!" Link shouted. Tetra quickly unleashed an arrow of light forward and Ganondorf cut through it with the Black Sword. Quickly, Tetra ran to Link's side.

"Link, there's only one option left. I'll shoot you with a light arrow. You have to use your shield and reflect it back at Ganondorf."

Link bit his lip and nodded. "It'll be hard, but I can do it."

Tetra quickly rushed away and pulled an arrow of light back into her bow. Link gripped the Master Sword tight, redrawing the Mirror Shield from his back. "You and your princess will die here, boy!"

Tetra quickly launched the arrow forward and Link brought the Mirror Shield up to block. He then whirled the shield around and aimed it at Ganondorf, causing the arrow of light to shoot forward. Before Ganondorf could react, the arrow struck him in the chest. "My name isn't boy!" Link shouted and rushed forward. He brought the Master Sword up and Ganondorf blocked with the Black Sword. "My name…" Link whirled around, striking the White Sword out of Ganondorf's hand. "Is Link!" he shouted as he jumped into the air and brought the Master Sword down driving it deep into Ganondorf's skull.

Ganondorf's eyes went wide as his body froze up in an instant. Link let go of the Master Sword and dropped to the ground, looking up at Ganondorf. A smirk appeared on Ganondorf's face as his eyes closed. "Heh…the wind…it is…blowing…" were his last words and soon his body was encased in stone.

Link let out a loud sigh of relief as his whole body collapsed from exhaustion. Tetra quickly rushed over, grabbing him before he could fall to the ground. "It's…finally over…" Link panted.

Tetra smiled. "Yes, it is." The two smiled as they looked at one another. "You were brave."

"Thank you…"

"My children…" King spoke as he stepped over to them. "Please listen to me…" King sighed and looked at them. "I regret the past. I lived facing that past. If only I could do it over again…There wasn't a single day in which I didn't think of the old kingdom. I was bound to this land of Hyrule. This means that Ganondorf and I were the same. But…" King sighed and looked away. "I want you two to live while facing forward. True, there might not be anything there, but I want you to look forward and walk forward. This land of Hyrule…it was all we could leave for you…please forgive us…"

"H-hey! Wait a moment!" Tetra spoke and helped Link stand to his feet. "You could come with us! We'll search for a new land to be the new Hyrule!"

"Yes, of course!" Link spoke. "We have a boat! We'll definitely find it, right, Tetra?"

Tetra nodded. "Right! So…please…"

King smirked and gave a soft chuckle. "Yes, but that land…it will not be Hyrule…" he spoke and held his hands out. "It will be your land." King looked up and the water came crashing down upon them. Link and Tetra rose their hands, as if to block the crushing waves, but to their surprise, the waves conformed around them, forming small pockets of air around Link and Tetra, but leaving King standing in the water. They then felt themselves rising and Tetra gasped. "Link!"

"Come with us, King!" Link shouted and reached his hand out. "Don't leave us!" King rose his hand and Link kicked to try and push himself down towards King. However, after a moment, King dropped his hand. "No!" Link shouted as the water carried him up to the surface.

King closed his eyes and looked down. "I have scattered the seeds of the future…" he spoke with his last breath.

* * *

Link groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The light of the sun was beating down on him hard, and he squinted at first. It was then that he noticed he was lying upon the surface of the water. His Mirror Shield was gone, along with the Master Sword. He was still dressed in his green garb, but when he looked at Tetra, he found her dressed in her pirate garb once more with her hair pulled up once again in a ponytail.

"What…happened…?" Link asked as he looked up. Suddenly, something dark blotted out the sun and his heart skipped a beat.

"Onii-sama!" Link heard a voice shout and his eyes went wide. The dark object moved out of the way of the sun, and it became clear what was in front of him. It was Tetra's pirate ship, and there, high in the crow's nest, was Aryll, waving down at him. "Onii-sama!"

"Aryll!" Link shouted and waved, then turned to Tetra, who groaned, her eyes slowly opening.

"Miss Tetra!" Gonzo shouted and his eyes became filled with tears as he tried to fight back the urge to cry from happiness.

"Gonzo! Niko! Zuko! Mako! Senza! Nudge!" Tetra shouted and began to wave. "You found us!"

"Climb on board before you catch cold!" Niko shouted and tossed a rope ladder down. Tetra and Link quickly climbed onto the boat from there. "What happened to you two, anyway? We lost track of you days ago!"

"It's a long story, Niko," Tetra spoke, smiling. "Before that, though, we need to get out of these wet clothes."

"Onii-chan!" Aryll shouted as she slid down the ladder to the crow's nest, then hugged Link. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled Link as close as possible. "I…I was afraid…I had lost you…"

"Never, Aryll," Link spoke and smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "You'll never lose me."

"Hey!" Tetra shouted and growled. "Who gave Aryll my dress?!" Immediately, Niko cringed. It was true, Aryll was now wearing a purple, sleeveless dress that had two lighter purple skulls upon it.

"Well, she wouldn't leave us alone when we tried to take her home…" Niko quickly spoke up. "She insisted she had to search for her brother…and after a while…her clothes got kind of smelly…so…we let her wear yours…"

Tetra glared at Niko harder, but she just couldn't keep up the act and she busted out laughing. "I was just joking, Niko," she spoke and began to laugh again. Soon, everyone but Niko was laughing as he simply rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Y-yeah…I knew that…honest!"

"Link!" a voice suddenly shouted and Link turned, only to be thrown to the ground as arms wrapped around him and pushed him down. It was Medli that had done so, and she immediately began to lock her lips with him.

"Looks like someone is happy to see you," Tetra spoke. She turned and there she saw Makar making his way towards the group as well. "Another friend of yours, Link?"

"Makar!" Link spoke and smiled. "So everyone is here?"

Medli nodded. "We all went searching for you once the evil-repelling power of the Master Sword was awoken. We wanted to be there the moment you returned from your mission."

"Thanks, that's really sweet." Link kissed Medli, then stood to his feet. "Oh man, do Tetra and I have a hell of an adventure to tell all of you."

Medli giggled. "You better get out of those wet clothes first, or you'll catch cold." Link then promptly sneezed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I guess so." Link and Tetra changed quickly while the crew set sail for Outset Island once again. Along the way, the two told of their adventure, and everything they had gone through since they had separated. After a time, they had returned to Outset Island, where Link spent some time with his family.

* * *

"I guess this is it, then…" Link spoke as he stood on the dock of Outset Island. Tetra's pirate ship was there, sitting at the dock, and all of the inhabitants of Outset Island stood at the dock.

"Will you be back?" Aryll asked.

Link shook his head. "No…but when we do find another home, I will send someone here to pick up everyone on this island and move them to our new home."

Tears appeared in Aryll's eyes and she wrapped her arms around Link. "I don't want you to leave…"

"I know, Aryll, but we've lived on this Great Sea for too long. We need to find a real home now."

Aryll sniffled and nodded, then stepped away from Link. "Promise I won't lose you?"

"Hey, I fought an Evil King, a puppet bent on nothing but destroying me, a sand worm, a lava worm, a ghost king, a magical statue, and a plant that tried to devour me, some of them twice. Not to mention all of the other monsters I fought all over the place. Do you really think something can stop me?"

Aryll smiled. "No, of course not."

Link chuckled and hugged Aryll. "I promise I'll stay alive, and I promise I will find a home for all of us."

"Even the Goron merchants that have inhabited Windfall in the last two days?"

"Even them."

Aryll smiled. "Okay." She stepped back. "Farewell, Onii-sama. I'll be good and brave until you come back for us!"

"I'm counting on it, Aryll!" Link climbed up the rope ladder onto Tetra's boat and she stared at him.

"You sure this is alright?" Tetra asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"Yes."

"What about your girlfriend?"

Link looked away and sighed. "She's stay behind…the Rito are bound to Valoo. There's no way she can leave."

"I see…" Tetra shrugged. "Just as well I suppose." She began to walk away. "Oh, and Link, one question."

"What's that?"

"She's not going to be having any children anytime soon, is she?"

Link nearly tripped over those words. "No, Tetra…we're actually…incompatible…"

"As long as you aren't living your future children behind, then good."

"Trust me, I wouldn't do that."

"Good." Tetra then walked to the center of the boat and looked up.

"Ready for launch, Miss Tetra!" Gonzo spoke.

"Very well. Set sail and leave the helm as it is!"

"Are you certain, Miss Tetra?"

Tetra nodded and smiled. "The wind will guide us to our new home." With that, the sails were pulled and the boat began to sail off into the horizon. What new adventures awaited form them? Well, only time could tell.


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

By Link

It's been years since that day. Tetra and I left on our journey to find a new home. Along the way, we had several adventures, too many to really name. Our biggest one, though, was where we got sucked into another dimension by a ghost ship. Yeah, you heard me, a ghost ship. Turns out, it was actually run by ghosts that worked for an even bigger ghost.

See, the adventure occurred in a land where the ocean was ruled by a whale named the Ocean King. He had a temple on an island called Mercay. However, the temple was cursed by the evil Phantom, Bellum. Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning.

See, we were sailing, and we heard about a ghost ship. We decided we'd check it out. When we found it, Tetra climbed on board and got turned to stone! I jumped on board to save her, but the boat began to move and I was knocked off. I woke on Mercay where I met a fairy named Ciela. We journeyed together for some time and finally made our way to the Temple of the Ocean King.

It was there we met a really annoying and selfish pirate named Linebeck. We had to save him from the Temple of the Ocean King's curse, and when we did, he acted all snotty. He blamed his failure on a sprained ankle, but I didn't buy it for one second. Turns out, he was a total coward.

So, Ciela and I made our way into the Temple of the Ocean King, but it quickly sapped the life out of us, so we had to escape before we died. That's one Oshus, an old man who lived on Mercay Island, gave us a magical object called the Phantom Hourglass. Using its power, as long as there was sand in it, we wouldn't be harmed by the temple's curse.

After that, Oshus sent us on a mission to rescue the three spirits. Interestingly enough, they were the spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Once we rescued them, Oshus revealed himself to be the Ocean King himself, then sent us on a quest to get a special sword called the Phantom Blade. Using its power, we were able to make it to the bottom of the Temple of the Ocean King and fight Bellum.

However, that's when things went terribly wrong! Bellum escaped the temple and took control of the Ghost Ship! We had to use Linebeck's ship to destroy the Ghost Ship by blowing it apart with the cannon. Unfortunately, it ended with both ships being destroyed. After that, Bellum possessed Linebeck, and I had to fight him! It was terrible! However, we did kill Bellum finally, and all was well again.

Linebeck got a free wish from the Ocean King, and much to our surprise, he wished for his boat back! I mean…he was crazy about treasure all his life, and when he gets the ability to wish for untold amounts of treasure, he wishes for his boat? He could have bought a boat with all the treasure he could have wished for! But, I suppose that was what really showed he had changed.

After that, Tetra, her crew, and I headed out once again. We found this strange land that was split into five realms: Fire, Ocean, Forest, Sand, and Snow. We met these creatures called Anouki there, and it turns out there were some resident Gorons there, too! However, that's where everything went terribly wrong.

We decided to settle in in this land, and the keepers of the land, the Lokomos, allowed us to take it over. But when we did, this creature called Malladus appeared and began destroying the land! We fought hard against him…but our power just wasn't enough to destroy him. So, the Lokomos used their power and sealed Malladus away beneath the ground.

They then forged chains that actually covered the land, and built a massive tower in the center of the land as a key to lock Malladus away. Those chains nowadays are called the Spirit Tracks, and they use them for this new invention they have called the train. It's really awesome! We can only hope that Malladus never gets free, though. If he does…I don't know what will happen…

Oh! I forgot something! Just before we found this land, which we call New Hyrule, Tetra and I got married. Yeah, I know, hard to believe, but I did get over Medli eventually, and Tetra…she came on pretty strongly. We have two kids now, one is a boy named William, the other one is a girl who we named Zelda. Zelda is currently the Queen of New Hyrule, since her mother passed on. William lives in Aboda Village, and though he protects New Hyrule, he's never wanted to be royalty.

Unfortunately, this is going to be my last entry into this book…You see…the curse the Goddesses of Hyrule put on Tetra and I was that we would only live to be sixty, then we'd pass on. Well, Tetra was a year older then me, and she passed almost a year ago. I'm due to drop dead any day now. So, I guess, I'll leave this for my kids to read, and maybe even their kids.

Oh! I forgot! We did get everyone off the Great Sea into New Hyrule, even my sister. The only one that didn't make it was Grandma…but…she was old already. I'm not surprised she passed before we found New Hyrule. Aryll says she passed away only a few months after we left. I kind of wish I had stayed now, so that I could have been there. Not much I can do about that I suppose. Well, I guess that's all. Farewell.


End file.
